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Consultancy Director to conquer Kilimanjaro in quest to save lives of street children

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MVA Consultancy’s James Vickers has accepted a challenge of a lifetime! In October he will set off for Tanzania to climb 19,336ft to the top of Kilimanjaro, the highest freestanding mountain in the world.

James, our Director Rail Business Planning will be taking on this adventure to raise money for Railway Children – a charity providing food, shelter, clothing, counselling, healthcare and education to street children across the world.  The charity’s goal is to intervene with a child at the earliest opportunity, protecting them from neglect, physical harm and abuse.

James, formerly a senior manager at the Strategic Rail Authority, is joining another 24 senior rail executives on the mountain climb, each aiming to raise £5,000 for the organisation and all paying for the costs of the trip themselves.  After he has completed the gruelling eight-day expedition, James will then visit a Railway Children project in Tanzania to learn about the charity and how the sponsorship money will be spent.

James comments:

“It’s a privilege to be asked to do something like this. The charity is placing its confidence in me to carry out the training and ensure I have the physical strength and mental determination to complete the challenge.

“I would love to exceed my £5,000 fundraising target and hope that local businesses and individuals will support me. When you raise money for Railway Children you know it’s going to make a real difference to young people’s lives. Eight days on a mountain versus a lifetime on the streets is not a lot to ask.”

At more than 19,000 feet above sea level, Kilimanjaro is one of the world’s most formidable peaks, and is furthermore unusual in that it has a permanent snow-cap all year round. During the charity climb, James  will make his way from the tropics to the arctics, as Mount Kilimanjaro represents all of the earth's climate types. A combination of height and geographic features mean that climbers pass through cultivated slopes, wild rainforests, moorlands, alpine deserts and glacial fields. Along the way, elephant, leopard, buffalo and antelope are often sighted, and the view from the summit is considered to be one of the best in the world.

Katie Mason, Head of Events at Railway Children says:

“Whilst this trip is not for the faint-hearted, it provides a fantastic opportunity for exploring new horizons, forging friendships and experiencing self-development. The money raised by Jameswill make such a difference to the work we do to ultimately save children’s lives in the UK, India and Africa.”

She adds: “Across Tanzania approximately 20,000 children find themselves living alone on the streets. Abandoned by their families or orphaned, they are forced into crime, drugs and exploitation just to survive.

“If we act when they first arrive onto the streets we can really make a difference, as we know that early intervention gives us the best possible chance of protecting a child from abuse and restoring relationships. In fact, every mountaineer like James could help save a child from the streets.”

To support James in his mountainous fundraising task visit:

http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/JamesVickers

If you are interested in an overseas or UK challenge for Railway Children, contact Katie Mason on 01270 757596 or visit our website at www.railwaychildren.org.uk

Information for Editors:

James is heading for new heights to raise £5,000 for Railway Children by climbing Mt Kilimanjaro – the tallest freestanding mountain in the world.

To arrange a photo call James on 07944 126820.

Railway Children works with street children in the UK, India and Africa. The charity was first named because of the help provided to runaway and abandoned children living in or around the world's railway stations. Today the organisation reaches out to over 25,000 street children every year living around the world. Money is spent on providing food, shelter, clothing, medical supplies, counselling and education.

Railway Children Statistics

• We help 25,571 street children around the world including:

15,697 in India

7,200 in the UK

2,674 in East Africa.

• In India there are more than 12 million children living on the streets. India has the highest number of street children in the world.
• Last year over 87,000 children arrived onto the platforms of railway stations across India. That’s one child every six minutes of every day.
• 100,000 children under the age of sixteen run away from home or care every year in the UK.
• One in 12 young runaways in the UK are hurt or harmed while they are away.
• One in six young runaways in the UK sleep rough.
• In Kenya, official figures estimate there are 250,000 children living on the streets.

Kilimanjaro – a steep charity challenge
The unforgettable Kilimanjaro challenge will take place on October 6th to 17th and  eight days will be spent on the mountain, allowing plenty of time for acclimatisation.  Kilimanjaro is the only walkable mountain of the Seven Summits (the seven summits are the highest peaks in all seven continents).  It measures up to 40 km across. The base covers an area of about 388,500 ha.
Kilimanjaro's summit is called Uhuru Peak which in English means 'Freedom'. Indeed this is a feeling that many climbers experience when they finally reach the 19,340 foot summit.

For further information about the press release please call Katie Mason or Rob Capener at Railway Children on 01270 757 596 or 07918 166595.

MVA Consultancy
Industry leader MVA Consultancy provides advice on transport and other policy areas to central, regional, and local government, agencies, developers, operators, and financiers.

A diverse group of results-oriented people, we are part of a strong team of professionals worldwide. Through client business planning, customer research and strategy development we create solutions that work for real people in the real world.

James Vickers

James Vickers is a highly articulate, enthusiastic and dedicated senior manager and negotiator with experience in the franchised rail industry since 1995.  His compelling negotiation skills have been proven in the successful completion of complex franchise deals and his strong competence in project and change management has been brought to bear in industry and organisation re-structuring.  Since joining MVA Consultancy, James has been advising clients such as Transport for London, Department of Transport Abu Dhabi, FirstGroup and GoVia.

Prior to joining MVA Consultancy, James played a key part in the Strategic Rail Authority’s senior management, acting as Assistant Director for Business Transformation (2004-2005), Policy Advisor (2002-2004) and Replacement Team Leader (2000-2002).  Working directly to the Chief Executive, James pro-actively managed National Audit Office enquiries across the SRA and briefed the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for parliament Public Accounts Committee appearances.  In his role as Replacement Team Leader, James structured the deliverable 5-year South Central Franchise Agreement following the collapse of the Govia, Bechtel and Railtrack SPV, and managed the expectations of senior management, stakeholders and the media in regards to the loss of the £1.5 billion investment in the anticipated 20-year deal.  Previously he had negotiated the 2-year Midland Mainline extension and the re-organisation of the PRISM four-TOC portfolio.  He developed strategies for the continued provision of railway services in the event of a franchise termination and managed the termination ‘command room’ during the aftermath of the Ladbroke Grove accident.

For further information please contact:

Emma O'Sullivan on 01483 742925
or email eosullivan@mvaconsultancy.com

or

Sarah White on 01483 742975
or email swhite@mvaconsultancy.com

29 January 2010