As a pilot/trial, this category has been re-structured for 2024 and entries will this year be grouped for judging according to the size/type of the group/organisation making the submission. This means the judges will be comparing projects more equally in terms of resources available to each group and what they achieved accordingly,

Large groups- these will be any CRPs that sit under an umbrella organisation. 

Medium groups – these will be any stand-alone, funded CRPs with only 1-2 members of paid staff.

Small groups – these will be any unfunded station adoption/friends/community groups 

There will be one winner at each of these levels, no runners’ up, so effectively there are 3 winners for the category and each will come up on stage to receive a trophy and prize money.

This category recognises creative initiatives that have had a transformative, empowering effect on the people involved and their local environment or station, connecting people to their railway, station, and wider community, and making the railway a welcoming place. 

Projects involving all forms of creative expression are eligible (art, music, spoken word, writing, storytelling, photography, interpretation panels or sculpture), creating a sense of pride and community, and promoting connections between communities and railways. We are especially keen to see projects that promoted inclusion and positivity and drew on local input and creativity in innovative ways.

Entries invited from:

We invite entries from community rail partnerships, station adoption or friends’ groups, or other community groups and representatives. Rail industry partners can submit entries where a project was undertaken in partnership with a community rail partnership or community group, but the entry must clearly demonstrate this partnership working, be agreed with the community partner(s), and their contact details provided – Note: This type of partnership entry will automatically be judged within the large groups level.

Essential Requirements:

Please include photographs, images or clips with your entry where relevant, showing/linking to the artwork or finished piece(s). You must also state clearly whether your group comes under the Small, Medium or Large groups levels and you must describe the structure of your organisation to support this.  Failing to provide this information will result in automatic disqualification as the judges will not be able to assess your entry. To allow for this explanation and in this category only, you are allowed to submit 750 words in the fuller written description

Judging criteria:

• Promotes positivity and celebrates railway and community – clearly appreciated by passengers and local people, promoting pride, understanding and positivity, and connecting community and railway;
• Successful engagement across the community or target audience – successful efforts were made to engage people widely across the community, or amongst a clear target audience;
• Interaction and drawing on community viewpoints – the scheme enabled interaction with and between the community, such as drawing on and sharing local perspectives, memories and ideas;
• Clear benefits for the community – wider benefits have been delivered, such as through increased wellbeing, confidence, skills, cohesion and inclusion, or supporting regeneration.