Catherine Huddlestone, community rail officer with the Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership (CRP), recently celebrated her fantastic 10-year anniversary with the partnership.

For this special article, she reflects back on her time working in community rail, and what she’s most looking forward to in the future.

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“A little over 10 years ago, having studied business at Lancaster & Morecambe College, engaged with volunteering opportunities through the student union and having gone on to top up my qualifications to degree level at the University of Cumbria, I was looking to find and begin my career.

When I came across a job advertisement for a community rail officer with the Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership (The Bentham Line), I quickly realised I had much of the required experience, as well as a keen interest in public transport, including railways. After the most welcoming and memorable interview process, I received the offer of a post with them.

I was fortunate enough to join the partnership in October 2015, and I became the youngest community rail officer in the country, a title which remained with me for several years.

I spent my early time with the partnership networking, developing my knowledge and skills, and building strong working relationships with our local communities. From there I have been involved in a wide range of projects aiming to improve confidence, inclusion and expand horizons for those in the communities along the Bentham Line and beyond.

From the ongoing Dementia and Community Rail project to social media, from railway safety education to marketing; I have organised and led so many projects, with the interests and needs of the communities at the heart of all we do.

I offer my sincere thanks to our chair, Gerald Townson, fellow partnership officer Brian Haworth, all the board and the management team, and community rail colleagues who continue to support me and the partnership.

Here’s to the decades yet to come as our adventure together continues!”

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Gerald Townson, chair of the Leeds-Morecambe CRP, said: “On behalf of everyone here at the Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership and myself, may I offer a big thank you to Catherine for all the work she has undertaken and the many unique moments she has shared with us over the past decade.

“Catherine has made, and continues to make, a real positive difference to the Bentham Line and its communities, as well as the world of community rail.

“We too look forward to sharing the positive times ahead with you, with a host of new projects to continue the adventure.”

Keep up to date with future news, projects and events from the Leeds-Morecambe CRP via their website.