Dragon's Den taking over South Western Railway announcements
We'll hear Deborah Meaden on our platforms throughout June
A Dragon's Den star is taking over the tannoy at South Western Railway stations throughout June.
Deborah Meaden will be heard on train announcements on platforms, as part of an environmental campaign backed by the operator.
Save Our Wild Isles has been set up by the RSPB, WWF and National Trust to call for an 'immediate halt to the destruction of UK nature and urgent action for nature recovery'.
SWR is the first train operator to pledge their support for the cause, promising to become 'nature positive'.
During the last 12 months alone, SWR has converted the equivalent of three football pitches into biodiversity gardens with the RSPB, as well as planting 15 wildflower meadows and creating over 40 homes for insects and birds.
The announcements voiced by Deborah Meaden will encouraging passengers to play their part in creating habitats for nature and increasing biodiversity. She said:
“Supporting the Save Our Wild Isles campaign is so important which is why I am pleased to see that South Western Railway is leading the way for rail in supporting nature and responding to the biodiversity crisis by pledging to become Biodiversity Net Positive by 2030 and also the first rail operator in the UK to sign the Nature Positive Business Pledge.”
Amy Dickinson, SWR’s Head of Sustainability, said:
"Save Our Wild Isles is a fantastic campaign and offers simple steps we can all make both at home or at work to help the wildlife on our doorstep. It’s a campaign that SWR is proud to support, as we want our network to be a place where nature can thrive, whether in our stations and depots, by the trackside or in our community gardens.
"We all benefit from biodiversity. That's why we'll continue to engage with our colleagues, customers and partners to support the unique habitats across the region we serve. Signing up to the Nature Positive Business Pledge means that our processes will be robust and we can learn together with others who are on a similar journey.”
The RSPB, WWF and National Trust commented:
“The state of biodiversity in the UK is critical and nature is in crisis with more than 40% of species populations declining since 1970 and the UK in the bottom 10% of countries worldwide for the nature we have left.
“Addressing this urgent issue is one of the defining challenges of our time, and businesses have a crucial role to play in reversing this trend by adopting sustainable practices and supporting conservation efforts.
“It's heartening to see industry leaders such as SWR committing to becoming nature positive. - only with this kind of action can we hope to save our wild isles.”