Practitioner viewpoint - October 22

SOMETHING VERY special happened today. I got to make someone’s greatest wish come true! 

The person concerned is just five years old, and his wish was to drive a freight train!

It all started when we were contacted by ‘Make a Wish’, a charity that arranges special treats for children who suffer from critical illness, in order to offer them a chance to escape from the reality of often complex and invasive treatment, to have fun with their family and to make special memories. They introduced us to a young man who has bravely endured a year of gruelling cancer treatment. They told us that he is passionate about freight trains, and that his greatest wish was to be a freight train driver. 

It would have been easy to refuse the request outright on safety grounds, but I love a challenge, and firmly believe that risk management should be an enabler not an excuse. So I got together a group of operational colleagues, and I was overwhelmed by the response. Not only did they agree we should grant the wish, but they all had ideas and suggestions to help make the day extra special. As word got around, more and more people wanted to get involved and help.

The day itself was amazing! Our guest was accompanied by his younger sister, brother and his parents. As soon as he got out of the car he identified the rolling stock in the depot and was telling us all about it! The whole family rode in the cab of several different locomotives, toured the engineering workshop and chatted to the staff, then we named a locomotive in their honour. Just seeing their faces, and sharing in their joy and excitement was an absolute privilege. 

We presented the family with model trains, books and soft toys as well as photos and videos to help them remember their special day, and we had a lovely email from them thanking us for “the best day ever”.

But it’s the response from our staff that has been really striking. Only a small number of people were involved on the day, but we sent out a newsletter to tell others about it, and the feedback has been amazing. We’ve had dozens of emails from people who hadn’t been directly involved thanking us, and telling us how proud they are to work for a company that cares about other people. It’s prompted ideas and suggestions for other events, and reawakened interest in holding family days like we used to do in the past.

In the midst of geopolitical turmoil, financial and social insecurity, you might expect people to be focused on themselves, driving to secure the essentials for their own needs, but the opposite is true. A simple act of kindness has brought us together, united us, and reminded us all what really matters. People. Family. Caring and kindness.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the worries of everyday life, but try to remember the positive power of kindness. It doesn’t need to be a big event or a life changing experience. Even a small gesture to help someone else can make a real difference, and have a powerful positive impact on your own sense of worth and wellbeing too.

I’m enormously grateful to ‘Make a Wish’ for offering us the opportunity to be involved in such a special event. It has been a profoundly moving and humbling experience which I will never forget.

Louise Ward is safety & sustainability director at G&W UK – Safety. For more information, visit www.gwrr.co.uk