Dedicated Doncaster volunteers enjoy trips to London throughout January as a special thank you from Hull Trains

The iconic blue-coated volunteer programme started in 2016 and was initially created to support Hull’s incredible year as UK City of Culture. The volunteers continue to support arts, culture and heritage across East Yorkshire.

Hull Trains is a well-loved part of the communities it’s served for over 24 years. These include Retford, Grantham, Beverley and Doncaster – all of which are provided with direct links to the capital by the operator.

The Hull Trains team has worked HEY! Volunteering on a variety of exciting projects over the last year. In August 2024, the operator sent over 100 of the volunteers to London to celebrate the iconic Yorkshire Day. Once they arrived in the capital, they staged an ‘East Yorkshire takeover’ by handing out white roses, postcards and special Hull Trains branded chip spice.

Meanwhile, in December, a group of the volunteers dressed up as Santa to deliver a ‘Santa Sack’ full of toys to the Doncaster Children’s Christmas Toy Appeal. The volunteers travelled with Hull Trains to make the thoughtful donation of toys collected by the operator.

Louise Mendham, Service Delivery Director at Hull Trains, said: “We’re extremely proud to be an active part of the Hull community and working with people like the HEY! Volunteers, who tirelessly give back to the place they call home, is a key part of that.

“They’ve supported us with some exciting projects recently and we’re delighted to be continuing to work together throughout 2025. Giving the dedicated volunteers the chance to enjoy a day out in the capital, along with our signature Hull Trains customer experience, is the least we could do to say thank you.”

Abi Bell, Volunteer Programme Manager at HEY! Volunteering, said: "We're always looking for ways to show the volunteers how much they are valued, so were thrilled when Hull Trains kindly offered free trips to London. HEY! Volunteers gave almost 25,000 hours of their time to support arts and culture across our region in 2024, and they really do deserve this treat."