Working with Railway Children
Our plan is simple; we give a percentage of our monthly takings to charity. This means that with every mouthful or slurp you will be joining us to make this world a little better and a few lives easier.
Eat pancakes and change lives.
2021 has been quite a year. If there is a silver lining it has been the opportunity to reflect and take stock. We have changed our menu, redecorated, pondered things we have never really had time to ponder. One of these things is the relationship between our business and the world around us.
It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day and lose sight of the bigger picture. We really want HP to make a difference. From the start, we’ve been involved with charities. Collection boxes and charity evenings have featured regularly at HP (often with a ukulele twist) but we have been looking for something a little different.
Some of you may know that in addition to being the life and soul of Hanky Panky, Mrs HP has also spent 35 years as a paediatrician. Mrs HP’s experience has made us acutely aware of the importance of the early years of life, so we were looking for a charity which could support children and families. We also wanted a local charity which had a global perspective and presence, we found one!
We were delighted to be introduced to Railway Children, a charity based in Sandbach doing some truly amazing work. We are very happy to tell you that Railway Children is HP’s new charity partner.
Our plan is simple, we are committing to give a small percentage of our monthly takings to the charity. We will keep you updated on how our joint effort is going, and the difference made possible by all of you. It may be a modest amount, but we hope this partnership will give Railway Children a regular income which we know will be put to good use. This means that with every mouthful or slurp you will be joining us in our desire to make this wonderful world a little better and a few lives a little easier.
About the Charity
Railway Children is an international charity that has changed the lives of more than 325,000 children over the last 25 years. The charity was launched by former railway professional David Maidment MBE, who was moved to try and make a difference after witnessing the plight of children living and working around the railways in India. The charity that he started back in 1996 has now grown to include projects in India, East Africa and the UK and become a pioneer in working with vulnerable children.
The charity fights for children around the world that have no one else to protect and care for them. Children who are forced to survive on the streets and around the railways in India, Africa and here in the UK where they often put themselves in danger using public transport to run away from home. Often these children are desperate to escape difficult homes – faced with poverty, neglect, violence and abuse – or being lured away by traffickers and those looking to groom or exploit them. Some are suffering through bullying, loneliness and poor mental health and even considering suicide as a way out of their problems. Wherever the charity finds these children, and whatever they are facing, they use the same approach to make sure they are safe from harm – always trying to reach them as soon as possible – before a predator does and before they are lost to life on the streets.
Giving a little back
The last year has been incredibly tough for a lot of people. We’ve had our own challenges but overall feel incredibly lucky to have great supporters, amazing customers and to be emerging from a truly difficult time with our health and our business intact. So much so that we’d really like to give a bit back, to those people who are facing a much harder time than we are, not just at the moment, but throughout their difficult lives.
We’ve been working with Railway Children for some time. This international children’s charity works with some of the most vulnerable young people on the planet – those who are alone, at risk and have no-one to care for and protect them. Often they run away or are forced to leave homes that have become unbearable, and end up facing even worse situations alone on the streets in East Africa and India. In the UK they become easy targets for exploitation, grooming and abuse and wherever they work, Railway Children makes sure to reach these children first, before a predator does and before they are lost to a life of trauma and despair.
Here at HP we completely agree with Railway Children’s vision for a world where no child should ever have to live on the streets. So from now on we’ll be donating 1% of our turnover every month to this pioneering and life-changing charity.
You can find out more about their work here – www.railwaychildren.org.uk and help us give as much as we can to support this excellent cause by ordering more pancakes here – order now!
We know you lovely lot will do what you can to help make this more than just a gesture and between us we can make a real difference in these children’s lives.
Thank you.
About the Charity
Railway Children is an international charity that has changed the lives of more than 325,000 children over the last 25 years. The charity was launched by former railway professional David Maidment MBE, who was moved to try and make a difference after witnessing the plight of children living and working around the railways in India. The charity that he started back in 1996 has now grown to include projects in India, East Africa and the UK and become a pioneer in working with vulnerable children.
