A Message from YRP Chair's Office

Dear members, friends and volunteers,

In response to the recent global focus on racial discrimination, YRP Chair’s Office would like to say some words on behalf of its Executive Committee.

Young Rail Professionals is a volunteer organisation that depends heavily on its community to deliver its objectives and to remain a positive force in the rail industry and the UK. A key component to achieving that positivity is that our community and our thinking is inclusive, diverse, and represents the values and equal opportunities we want to see shared and defended across our industry. YRP has always rejected discrimination of any kind, and we will not tolerate behaviour that fails to meet the high standards expected of our organisation and its members.

At the YRP Strategy Weekend held in February 2020 it was unanimously recognised that further engagement and proactivity are required to progress our values. We are also adamant that words are not enough; action is what counts, and YRP is well placed to take action. 

To that end, at the monthly YRP Executive Committee on 9 June, YRP leadership agreed what our response would be to recent events and what actions we will undertake to improve. From this discussion, we decided that;

• A Diversity and Inclusion Champion will be appointed from the YRP leadership team annually. Bonnie Price, YRP Vice-Chair, has been appointed for the current year;
• A Diversity and Inclusion programme will be started at once to review YRP activity, policies and initiatives; and
• The Diversity and Inclusion programme will operate so as to generate insights and recommendations to be presented back to the YRP Executive Committee for implementation as a priority.

This is just the start, and we want our organisation to be judged on the positive continuous action it now plans to take to support the end of discrimination, which has no place in YRP, the rail industry, or anywhere in the world. YRP will always aim to be the supportive network that our members need. YRP Chair's Office commits to driving a change.

If you would like to be involved in the development of YRP’s D&I programme, please contact bonnie.price@youngrailpro.com. Please also keep an eye out for invitations to events so we can hear from all our members about where we should focus our efforts. If you would like to respond to anything in this message, or wish to report any concerns relating to discrimination in YRP, please contact chairsoffice@youngrailpro.com.

George, Bonnie, Josh and David.
YRP Chair's Office 2020/21