Our Travelling with Confidence project, grant-funded by the Motability Foundation and aimed at empowering hundreds of disabled people to travel more confidently by rail, is now well underway.

Since the initiative launched in January, we have developed relationships with 29 community groups and disabled people’s organisations across the UK, 55% of whom are already telling us they have seen such positive benefits that they have ambitions and plans to continue rail travel training themselves with the people they support and work with.

These community partnerships have so far enabled our four core delivery partner CRPs to work directly with 385 people with disabilities, exploring individual and collective barriers to travel, to collaboratively plan and experience, co-created rail trips leading to ever-increasing confidence, skills and resilience.

Bee Clarke, access and inclusion lead for GOCRP (Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire Community Rail Partnerships), explains how in its first six months the project has empowered people “to take the first steps in independently navigating public transport. This is not only a practical life skill but also a gateway to increased freedom, employment opportunities, social connection, and confidence.”

As part of the project, we will be providing a limited number of grants (and support) to accredited CRPs who want to set up similar, smaller-scale initiatives, and contribute to our wider project between now and December 2026. We will be holding an online information session about these grants on Tuesday 16 September, 12-1pm. If you are interested in attending, or would like more information, please contact Sally.

In response to this project we are also holding an in-person working day exploring co-production in community rail activities on Wednesday 24 September, central Birmingham, 10am-4pm.

We strongly encourage any CRPs interested in a Travelling with Confidence grant to attend this if possible.