Wonderful William Whiting

We were devastated to hear of the recent, and sudden, passing of our dear friend William Whiting.

Through his role as Chair of Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership, William was fundamental in the development of our rail education scheme. A founding member of the Joint Education Scheme steering group, William’s commitment to Platform was clear, consistent, and constant.

William joined the Platform team as a volunteer on several occasions, most recently attending our Christmas Circus by Train event at the Loco Klub in Bristol. There, he supported us by helping with craft activities, chatting with the children, and assisting the walking to and from the station. Spending the afternoon with a group of 4- and 5-year-olds, William was clearly in his element.

William was a champion for those from disadvantaged communities, frequently discussing the importance of reaching children living in challenging situations and supporting them in accessing opportunities.

Where some from outside of the education sector would find themselves out of their comfort zone when working with young children, William thrived on it.

Since his passing, the same word has been shared by so many within our community when talking about William and the impact he had on the lives of his colleagues: kindness. William was relentlessly, and unyieldingly, kind, and this underpinned his interactions with all of those around him.

William was our advisor, our support…and our friend. We are heartbroken to have lost him so suddenly and wish we could have known him for longer. However, our scheme would never have become what it has without him, and we know we were so lucky to have him for our pilot year.

His memory will live on in everything that we do to help young people to access rail travel, and all the benefits that come with this.