# FirstGroup and Action for Children partnership reaches £1 million target early

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/08/14/firstgroup-and-action-for-children-partnership-reaches-1-million-target-early/
- Published: 2019-08-14T08:01:22+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Children’s charity Action for Children and transport group FirstGroup have reached
their £1 million partnership target after just one year, two years ahead of target.**

The funding provides mental health support for vulnerable and disadvantaged children
across the UK.

Since the partnership began in April 2018 FirstGroup colleagues cycled, skipped,
baked and even sky dived to fundraise for Action for Children. The total raised 
was boosted by corporate donations and the commercial value of gift in kind advertising
space on FirstGroup’s bus and rail networks.

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![First Group staff pose in an Action for Children photoframe](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.
cloud/2019/08/first-group-action-for-children-staff-768x1024.jpg)

_First Group staff pose in an Action for Children photoframe_

FirstGroup’s fundraising has enabled the charity to fund a mental health practitioner
working directly with families at [Action for Children](https://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/)’
s services. Since the partnership launched in April 2018, over 240 hours’ worth 
of intervention programmes have helped families. In addition 139 Action for Children
staff have received training to help those children and families they see struggling
with mental health problems.

 

## Record breaker

 

![](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2019/08/first-group-action-for-children-
skipping-1024x643.jpg)

_GWR- Continuous Improvement Manager Simon Ashton from Great Western Railway attempts
to break the world record for 76,196 jumps over a skipping rope in 12 hours, at 
Plymouth Station in Devon. 20/10/2018_

 

One FirstGroup staff member even broke a world record while fundraising for Action
for Children! GWR employee Simon Ashton hosted a Skipathon at Plymouth Station last
October, breaking the record for the most number of skips in 12 hours (79,023) and
raising over £1,500 at the same time.

Matthew Gregory, Chief Executive, FirstGroup, said:

> “FirstGroup is incredibly pleased to support Action for Children in helping young
> people on their journey to better mental health. We are really proud that thanks
> to the efforts of FirstGroup employees and the impact of the gifts in kind we 
> have donated, we have already reached a partnership value in excess of £1m and
> we look forward to supporting Action for Children through a further two years 
> of our partnership.”

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