Derby Member of Parliament Catherine Atkinson (pictured) has been appointed as Parliamentary Champion for the Rebuilding Futures Alliance (RFA).
Ms Atkinson is a member of the Commons Transport Select Committee and a practising criminal barrister. She takes on the role following an introduction from the Rail Forum’s Chief Executive, who also sits on the RFA board.
She will support RFA in raising awareness of its work, pressing for policy change and championing collaborative programmes aimed at plugging skills shortages across UK public transport and infrastructure. She will also promote fundraising campaigns, designed to expand the reach of its employment pathways.
She says: “I am honoured to take on the role of Parliamentary Champion for RFA. I stood for Parliament to help people, change lives and use the skills I have to make a difference. There are countless charities in this country that do amazing work, but when you find a new way to deliver change, you must grasp it.
“RFA is a bold initiative designed to break the cycle of re-offending through a smart and data-driven framework that is taking a confident new approach and reflects my core passions: justice, equality, community, social mobility, and building safer communities and opportunities across our great country. I am very proud to work with RFA as its Parliamentary Champion and its partners to help create a new approach to our criminal justice system, our future workforce and the whole transport sector”.
Adds Gabriella Ellison, CEO at RFA: “We are thrilled to welcome Catherine as our Parliamentary Champion. Her deep understanding of the justice system, her commitment to equality, and her passion for creating opportunity make her an ideal advocate for our work. With her support, we can reach more people, open more doors, and transform the futures of those who have never been given the opportunity they deserve.”
