Each year, the RailStaff Awards honour the teams and individuals who go out of their way to make life a little brighter for those in need and the Charity award celebrates those who have made a significant contribution to charitable causes.
Nominees for the award dedicate their time and passion to supporting, promoting, and fundraising for a wide range of inspiring causes that make a real difference in people’s lives. The winner exemplifies how the rail industry can be a force for positive change.
This year, the honour went to Dave Bateson of Network Rail. With 33 years in the industry, Dave has turned personal adversity into an inspiring force for change. After being diagnosed with Stage 4 Melanoma in 2019, he used his experience to raise awareness of sun safety, wellbeing, and resilience across Network Rail and beyond.
Delivering powerful talks, publishing widely-read articles, and engaging thousands of colleagues, Dave has become a catalyst for change. His fundraising efforts and his compassionate leadership have made him a true role model.
“It feels amazing to have won this award,” he said. “I was so surprised. It was great just to be nominated, and to make it through to the final was lovely, but to hear my name read out, just… wow!”
“After surviving cancer, I’m now giving back. Since then I’ve become involved in charity work – not only raising money but also educating people about the dangers of the sun, especially frontline rail teams.
“It’s one of those things that people don’t really think about, but it’s so important to take precautions when out in the sun. The pioneering drug that I took when I was ill saved my life, and there are better medications coming out today. But you don’t want to let it get to that stage – prevention is much better than cure.”
The RailStaff Awards thanks Alstom for supporting the Charity Award in 2025.
Highly commended:
Aidan Courts, AtkinsRéalis
Tracey Cheung, Amulet
Back next year
We have exciting sponsorship opportunities available for the 2026 awards.
If you’re interested in discussing this further or would like to put forward nominations from your team for future awards, please feel free to contact us by email at [email protected] or call us on 01530 816 440.
You can also find out more and view the upcoming pictures and videos from the evening by visiting our website www.RailStaffAwards.com.
