Hi everyone, it’s hard to believe how much the world has changed since the last Community Rail News. It has been harrowing to watch events unfold in the Ukraine yet heartening to see the role of the railways helping people to flee. Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine.
Community Rail Conference
We hope those of you who attended our annual joint conference with Department for Transport found it informative and enjoyable. It was great to see so many community rail partnerships and our railway family partners in person for the first time in years. Those of you who attended should have received a short feedback survey via email – please complete this and give your thoughts on this year’s event. Sessions covered wide-ranging topics including good governance, youth engagement, active travel and leisure, safe and confident passengers, and housing and regeneration. Presentation slides from the two days can be found here.
DfT Community Rail Development Fund
We are pleased to announce that the new round of the Community Rail Development Fund for accredited CRPs opens for applications today (9 March). Make sure to get your bids in early in time for any plans you have for Community Rail Week or summer leisure promotions. There is a new form and improved process so please see details here.
Support & development team review
As you may be aware our support & development team, which provides direct support to our members in line with our membership offer (see the offer for CRPs, station friends and community stations), is currently reviewing the way it works. All members should have received an email with a link to the mini-survey. If you are a member and haven’t received this please email news@communityrail.org.uk. The deadline for responses to the survey is this Friday (11 March).
Community Rail Week – Give the Train a Try
We hope you are starting to think about your plans for Community Rail Week, 23-29 May. For ideas and support on how you can get involved: read our guidance here; join Sarah & Alice from our comms & policy team in our Zoom drop-in sessions (every Thursday 4pm-6pm from 17 March); speak to your usual team contact or check out our web page to keep up to date.
Community Rail Awards – 5 October 2022
Plans are already underway for the 2022 Community Rail Awards, which we can confirm will take place on 5 October – put the date in your diaries now! We’re delighted that the awards will be held in the iconic Manchester Central Convention Centre, the former home of Manchester Central Railway Station. We are extremely grateful to TfGM and Northern who are joint headline sponsors. Entries are due to open in mid-June.
Social value briefing
We have put together a briefing paper for members on social value, sponsored by Northern. This introduces social value, outlining what the concept means for community rail, and how it can be applied to the increasingly diverse activities within the movement. It also highlights work within the rail industry, including the new Rail Social Value Tool, being launched later this year. Read the paper.
If you have any comments or stories, please email our communications team on news@communityrail.org.uk
Your next bulletin is on 23 March. Keep up-to-date in between on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Best wishes
Richard & Jools
Partner news
- Rail Delivery Group launches campaign aimed at commuters & business travellers
- Historic England launches grant scheme for community-led heritage projects
News from our members
- New trails to give passengers a ‘Taste for Travel’
- Cornish station group explores views on integrated travel
- Community rail celebrates history of musical icon
- Young people and local artist team up to create new artwork for Lincoln Station
- Celebratory makeover for Marston Vale Line trains
- Posters tempt passengers to visit city’s ‘well-kept secrets’
