Recruitment
“Sheree only started her new role last year but has got straight into her role by delivering and promoting Defibrillator and CPR confidence training all around the network here at SWR. She provides this confidence training all by herself and has given confidence to over 500 colleagues so far at the time of writing this. South Western Railway are installing 154 defibrillators onto all our staffed stations, which Sheree saw a need for this confidence training and went full steam ahead and offered it to any colleague who wanted to practice on a AED and a manakin. Sheree is always booked up for these sessions and she is very passionate for this confidence training to be available to any member of staff that needs it. Sheree has teamed up with The Alex Wardle Foundation who is one of SWR charities of the year and has been a part of a team who has named a train after the charity on SWR. She constantly goes above and beyond for the company and this awards seems fitting.“
“Sheree, is a very positive breath of fresh air in her approach to any task.
Very much a people person and very engaging to work with or be trained by.
Whatever she delivers she does with honesty and passion, and she works tirelessly with groups in and outside of the railway,
All companies should have a Sherree“
“Sheree is such an inspiration to a lot of her colleagues and she is such a happy go lucky person who puts her colleagues at ease every time they come across her.
She has set up defibrillator and AED confidence sessions across the whole network making colleagues feel confident if they ever have to unfortunately use these. These sessions are very relaxed and Sheree is very relatable. Sheree set this up from the information and feedback from colleagues who felt overwhelmed with seeing all the defibrillators around our stations.
Without Sheree, colleagues may not have the confidence to use these in an emergency and may miss vital signs etc.
Sheree also has raised thousands for the Alex Wardle Foundation, who promotes awareness within communities for defibrillators in schools, stations etc. They have raised enough money to provide medical professionals who will screen over 100 employees for the silent and deadly condition SADS.
Sheree also has great connections with Hedge End community and has won a national award in 2021 for Good Neighbourhood of the Year Award UK for the station. She organises plants and flowers to be planted at the station by local school children, holds competitions with the school to decorate the stations windows and holds a Christmas Event every year for free for all the local communities. Over 300 people attended last year and Sheree did this in all in her.
Thank you Sheree, you rightly deserve recognition and hope you do very well.“
“I first met the force of nature that is Sheree Whetren, when she was posted as 'Customer Ambassador', to the Ticket Office at Woolston. The next staffed station down the line to where I worked at Netley. It soon became pretty apparent, that Sheree shared my belief in customer service and the station as a community hub.
When SWR began its 'Community Ambassador' scheme, it came as no surprise to me that Sheree had also applied. Leading to a time when she and I worked very much as a team. Organising 'Try a Train Days', to help disadvantaged people to overcome barriers to enjoying rail travel.
At Woolston and later Hedge End where she, later transferred. She soon became involved with her local community. At Hedge End in particular with the local Berrywood Primary School, who’s children designed decorative displays to brighten the modern station’s’ plate glass windows. While producing artwork to promote environmental projects including the delightful ‘Bee Hotel’ on Platform 2.
Christmas at Hedge End became a very special time. When Sheree started a ’Shoebox Appeal’, asking colleagues and customers to donate gift boxes, to be donated to the area’s old and infirm. I have happy memories of Hedge End Booking Hall, filled to the brim with shoe boxes awaiting sorting. A number of other, mostly larger stations, began similar schemes around that time, leading to a it becoming an SWR-wide event.
Each year, Sheree organises an evening Community Christmas Fayre, complete with Christmas tree, a brass band, The Berrywood School Choir, and Father Christmas himself. Who clearly enjoys it so much, that this year he’s setting up his own grotto. Remarkably, although Sheree has now deservedly moved onto pastures new within SWR. She still continues her work as Hedge End’s Community Rail Station Adopter.
Sheree also worked closely with the Alex Wardle Foundation, to raise money to install a life-saving Defibrillator at the station. Sheree and the foundation’s founder and SWR colleague Steve Wardle, who’s son tragically died young through Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS). The appeal was a success, with the cause now taken up by SWR, who have pledged to provide a De-fib at EVERY staffed station.
Sheree’s move and promotion from stations to Occupational Health was well deserved, although a great loss to her colleagues on the customer service front line. But Sheree has always been about caring, looking after her friends, colleagues and customers in equal measure. I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever, that she will continue to shine like a beacon to others, in whatever role she chooses to undertake.“
“I first met the force of nature that is Sheree Whetren, when she was posted as 'Customer Ambassador', to the Ticket Office at Woolston. The next down the line to where I worked at Netley. It soon became pretty apparent, that Sheree shared my belief in customer service and the station community hub.
When SWR began its 'Community Ambassador' scheme, it came as no surprise to me that Sheree had also applied. Leading to a time when she and I worked very much as a team. Organising 'Try a Train Days', to help disadvantaged people to overcome barriers to enjoying rail travel.
At Woolston and later Hedge End where she, later transferred. She soon became involved with her local community. At Hedge End in particular with the local Berrywood Primary School, whose children designed decorative displays to brighten the modern station’s plate glass windows. While producing artwork to promote environmental projects including the delightful ‘Bee Hotel’ on Platform 2.
Christmas at Hedge End became a very special time. When Sheree started a ’Shoebox Appeal’, asking colleagues and customers to donate gift boxes, to be donated to the area’s old and infirm. I have happy memories of Hedge End Booking Hall, filled to the brim with shoe boxes awaiting sorting. A number of other, mostly larger stations, began similar schemes around that time, leading to it becoming an SWR-wide event.
Each year, Sheree organises an evening Community Christmas Fayre, complete with Christmas tree, a brass band, The Berrywood School Choir, and Father Christmas himself, who clearly enjoys it so much, that this year he’s setting up his own grotto. Remarkably, although Sheree has now deservedly moved onto pastures new within SWR. She still continues her work as Hedge End’s Community Rail Station Adopter.
Sheree also worked closely with the Alex Wardle Foundation, to raise money to install a life-saving Defibrillator at the station. Sheree and the foundation’s founder and SWR colleague Steve Wardle, whose son tragically died young through Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS). The appeal was a success, with the cause now taken up by SWR, who have pledged to provide a De-fib at EVERY staffed station.
Sheree’s well-deserved move from stations to Occupational Health was well deserved, and a great loss to her colleagues on the customer service front line. But Sheree has always been about caring, and looking after her friends, colleagues and customers in equal measure. I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever, that she will continue to shine like a beacon to others, in whatever role she chooses to undertake.“
“Thank you so much for Saturday. It was a fantastic evening and we really appreciate you choosing Railway Children as the RailStaff Awards charity.”
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