BRENTOR-based children's charity CHICKS has been chosen as CrossCountry's selected partnership charity for the year.

This rare charity relationship will see CHICKS-affiliated children travelling for free on CrossCountry rail services for respite breaks to the south west.

CHICKS, Country Holidays for Inner City Kids, has been operating for more than 16 years and aims to provide disadvantaged children and child carers with life-enhancing holidays in the countryside.

CHICKS' action-packed activities include rock-climbing, riding, canoeing, surfing, field sports and team building activities that the children would not normally have the opportunity to participate in.

CrossCountry managing director Andy Cooper said: 'We're delighted to be entering into an exciting partnership with CHICKS.

'The charity and their amazing staff do a vast amount of work that really makes a long-term difference to the lives of the children and their families.

'We hope that CrossCountry can play a key role not only in bringing people together from across the country via our widespread network, but also show the important role that we play as part of the wider community.' 

Roy Endacott, chief executive of CHICKS, said: 'Many of the children experience countryside and the sea for the first time on a visit.

'Staff and volunteers who look after the children are fun, enthusiastic and energetic and aim to feed positive messages to the children during their stay.

'Our aim is to make a lasting impression on the children and show that life can be different in more ways than one.'

As an additional element of the sponsorship deal, CrossCountry's 1,800 employees will also have the rare opportunity to work with the children as volunteers via CHICKS' regular activity breaks at their centres in Devon and Cornwall.