Mental health champion honoured
A long-serving West Midlands Railway worker who helped launch a groundbreaking mental health hub at Wolverhampton station has been recognised with a national award.
Sam Passmore named wellbeing champion
Sam Passmore, customer experience manager at the busy city-centre station, was named Wellbeing Champion at the 2025 Heart of Gold Awards, run by the Railway Benefit Fund. She was honoured for her central role in creating The Hub, a dedicated mental health space offering support to anyone who needs it.
The idea for the site emerged after Sam organised an event that brought together charities, NHS teams and local organisations to address the growing need for safeguarding support in Wolverhampton. The result was a collective agreement to establish a permanent mental health facility within the station – only the second of its kind anywhere in the UK.
Over 600 people supported in the first six months
Since opening in May, The Hub has had more than 600 visitors seeking talking therapy, crisis support and access to community-run sessions. Positioned next to Costa Coffee inside Wolverhampton station, the space is staffed and maintained by mental health charity Rethink Mental Illness in partnership with WMR.
As well as its core support services, the hub is available for local groups and charities to hire for free, creating a much-needed community space in one of the region’s busiest public locations.
Praise from rail bosses and partners
Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at West Midlands Railway, said Sam’s leadership had been vital in bringing the project to life. He said WMR was “very proud” of her achievement and described her as a “brilliant example” of the organisation’s front-line workforce.
Sam said she was “so happy” to be recognised for her work, adding that Wolverhampton’s position as the busiest station in the West Midlands, with over six million customers passing through each year, made it the ideal location for a safeguarding hub that could support people from “all walks of life.”
Kirsten Rose, service manager at Rethink Mental Illness, praised the partnership’s success and credited Sam’s “innovative idea” for creating an accessible safe space that strengthens community links. She said the award was “well-deserved.”
National recognition for industry wellbeing
The Heart of Gold Awards, run by the Railway Benefit Fund, celebrate railway employees who go above and beyond to support colleagues and communities. Sam’s win highlights the growing need for mental health support across the region and the difference local initiatives can make.
