Rail Unites for Inclusion
19 Nov 2025
On Monday 17 November, DFTO’s Industry Inclusion and Belonging Leads – Apeksha Naik and Odis Palmer, as Co-Chairs of Rail Unites for Inclusion (RUI) collaborated to celebrate International Men’s Day with Lee Chambers, DFTO, Network Rail, TfW, RDG, EDI Charter for Rail and Andy’s Man Club.
Apeksha Naik opened the event and said that the event was to celebrate men’s contributions, address the unique challenges they face in our industry, and make sure that men feel part of the inclusion agenda, because inclusion is about everyone.
Fatima Baig, Head of Finance, Strategy and Development, Network Rail, one of the funders for the event then thanked all the participating organisations for their support.
Panellists and hosts shared personal journeys, sparking conversations about the importance of men’s networks for mental health and belonging.
Panel 1: In conversation with Lee Chambers, hosted by Odis Palmer (Co-Chair of Rail Unites for Inclusion and Industry Inclusion and Belonging Lead, DFTO)
Lee Chambers reflected on masculinity and vulnerability, and his journey as a parent to three children—including the challenges of raising a son in a time that is challenging and confusing, especially with the use of technology and online spaces.
He discussed how to create safe spaces for young boys to talk about what they encounter online and in the wider world, emphasising that empathy, engagement, and listening to young men is important. Lee encouraged adults to maintain open communication with boys to create boundaries and let them have input in making decisions.
Touching on allyship, Lee also highlighted that the biggest barrier to men being allies is the fear around getting it wrong and not knowing what to do.
“The truth is we’re all a beginner. The works starts with going in and being a beginner. It can be scary to step in and start that.”
Check out the research to create safe spaces for boys here - Voice of the Boys | Male Allies UK
Panel 2: Men’s networks panel session hosted by Lee Chambers with panellists Dom Mottram (NR), James Gossage (LNER) and Oliver Wheeler (RDG).
Lee Chambers spoke to the panellists about being involved in creating and sustaining men’s networks in the railway industry. Several highlights involved:
The importance of spaces where men can share their challenges and vulnerability and be themselves: Both Dom Mottram and Oliver Wheeler noted the need for spaces where men can openly discuss their mental health, while James Gossage shared his personal journey after realising he could recognise the signs in the men he worked with, and how that led him to set up the Mankind network.
Lee also shared that when it comes to inclusion, men are often not part of the design and how that needs to change.
The positives and challenges of setting up networks: James highlighted that you can’t force people to join a network, but sharing stories helps to challenge years of social conditioning. Stories are also effective when it comes to those who might be resistant to join, demonstrating how these networks would be there for them if and when they needed it. Dom discussed the challenges of creating a men’s network in an organisation where men are not a minority. He also went on to explain the need for conversations about mental health and wellbeing outside of work too.
Panel 3: Allyship and wellbeing – interactive session. Hosted by Lee Chambers and Sonia Hazel, Assurance and Controls Manager, representing RUI and EDI Charter for Rail
Sonia Hazel, who is on the leadership team of Rail Unites for Inclusion, shared her own challenges in the workplace and how allies helped her overcome difficult situations. Participants went into breakout sessions to talk about different scenarios involving discrimination and exclusion of people with different characteristics including men, e.g., part-time workers being marginalised in mess rooms, a man struggling with his mental health after relationship issues with his partner and his line manager not being supportive etc. Strategies for allyship including allyship towards other men included listening actively, challenging unfair comments, including colleagues in social settings and encouraging formal reporting when necessary.
Panel 4: Andy's Man Club session, hosted by Ian Watson (TPE) and Lucas Whitehead (Andy’s Man Club)
Andy’s Man Club (AMC) is a charity founded in memory of Andy Roberts, providing free support groups where men can talk about their mental health without judgement.
The session featured colleagues from the railway who shared their personal experiences of mental health crises and the support they found with AMC. This included Ian from TPE, who spoke about how AMC helped him after being involved in a fatality when someone took their life in front of his train and how he works across the industry to promote their work.
Find out more about Andy’s Man Club
Panel 5: DFTO panel session hosted by Odis Palmer with panellists Adrian Bayne (LNER), Felix Ng (Southeastern), Matt Wilson (Northern), Sam Fowler (c2c Railways Limited) and Warrick Dent (DFTO).
During this final session, panellists were invited to talk about how being a man in the rail industry has changed over time, as have the opportunities to talk about or get support for their mental health. It was noted that the introduction of initiatives and charities like Andy’s Man Club have offered incredible mental health support to frontline workers who are struggling.
Topics discussed included the challenges faced by individuals from the challenges that people from different ethnicities and sexual orientations face; the late diagnosis of conditions like autism and ADHD; and navigating identity in the workplace as people managed inside and outside personas.
The panel also talked about the role of majority groups in allyship and the need for them to be involved in diversity and inclusion activities and efforts. The panellists reflected on how using personal privilege can help to understand and support marginalised colleagues better.
Closing remarks
Apeksha in her opening and closing reflected on how the event was an opportunity to celebrate men’s contributions to workplaces, communities and families while acknowledging the challenges that they face both mentally and sometimes physically.
It is important to recognise the expectations society places on men, alongside the belief that they should be strong allies—often without being given the tools to succeed. By creating spaces for open dialogue and providing practical resources, we can empower men to thrive as supportive partners and champions of inclusion.
Join us for our next events - In conversation with Richard George, Chair of DFTO on 1 December and our tackling gender based violence event on 2 December. Use the link below to find out more.
https://www.railunites.org/event-list