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Rail manager in charity skydive success

Thursday 28 May 2009

A Leeds-based rail manager's leap of faith has raised over £1,000 for children's charity, Country Holidays for Inner City Kids (CHICKS).

 

Designated daredevil Kerry Cross, a Customer Service Manager for CrossCountry trains, raised the cash by jumping out of a plane at 10,000ft over the Northumberland coastline. Kerry, who lives in the West Yorkshire village of Birkenshaw, made the jump from Peterlee Airfield on Sunday 24 May.

Kerry, 37, said: "The skydive was a Christmas present from my husband Paul. I knew it would be an amazing experience for me, with fantastic views of the countryside whilst free-falling from 10,000ft, but I wanted to be sure others could benefit as well. Chicks was an easy choice to raise money for as they work so hard to help disadvantaged children from all over the country experience what for some is their first holiday."

Kerry added; "I would like to thank all my friends and colleagues who supported me and who have donated to help children travel to Chicks' fantastic Westcountry facilities to build up their confidence and give them new skills."

CHICKS provides respite breaks at specialist centres in Devon and Cornwall for disadvantaged children from across the UK between the ages of 8 and 16. Children come from all backgrounds and invariably suffer from the consequences of poverty, neglect and physical or mental abuse. The charity also provides breaks for young carers.

Please find notes to Editors, CrossCountry facts and figures below.
For more information feel free to contact us on 0121 2006115 or by email to


Notes to editors

CrossCountry started operating on 11 November 2007. The franchise, which is the most extensive in the UK, will run until 31 March 2016. For further information on CrossCountry services and future franchise plans log on to www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk

Arriva is one of the largest private sector providers of passenger transport in Europe, employing more than 43,500 people (including share of associate companies) and providing more than one billion passenger journeys every year.

Arriva provides transport services including buses, trains, commuter coaches and water buses, and operates in 12 European countries: Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

CrossCountry facts and figures:

STATIONS SERVED: 118
ROUTE MILES: 1,654
WEEKDAY SERVICES: 293
PASSENGERS CARRIED: Over 30 million passenger journeys a year anticipated
ANNUAL TRAIN MILEAGE: Approximately 16 million
EMPLOYEES: Approximately 1,700
LONGEST TRAIN SERVICE: 08.20 Aberdeen to Penzance (774 miles)

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Contact Information

CrossCountry Press Office: [email protected]


About CrossCountry

CrossCountry is a long-distance passenger train operator, with a network stretching from Aberdeen to Penzance and from Stansted to Cardiff and calling at over 100 stations. Based in Birmingham, CrossCountry connects seven of Britain’s 10 largest cities and delivers 240 services every weekday, equating to over 42 million passenger journeys each year.

For further information on CrossCountry services, visit crosscountrytrains.co.uk or visit one of our social media platforms via X @crosscountryuk or Facebook at facebook.com/crosscountrytrains

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