Hello everyone. We hope you all had a good festive break, and we would like to wish you all the best for the coming year.
Team changes
We’re sorry to tell you that Brian Barnsley, one of our longest serving member of the team and head of support and development, has decided to take retirement and will be leaving Community Rail Network at the end of March. Brian has been with us for over 17 years and will be really missed. We will make sure we have an appropriate farewell and showing of thanks for Brian in March. Brian’s role will go out to advert this week. The role will be advertised as director of support and development, and our other heads of services Sarah Fatica and Sarah Chilton will also see their job title changed to director to bring them in line with the sector.
Communications support
Mindful of the difficulties of communicating positive messages in challenging times, our comms and policy team will be holding weekly drop-in sessions for anyone who wants support or to discuss their PR, comms and marketing plans for the year. The sessions will be led by Sarah C and Alice and will be held every Thursday (from 19 January for the next few weeks) between 4-6pm on Zoom. No need to book – just drop into the session here anytime within the time slot.
We also have a focused online session coming up, Social Media Skillshare, led by Alex and Erin on Tuesday 7 February, 10am-12pm. This session is for members and will allow you to find out how others are using social media, share tips and get new ideas. Book your place here.
Online session on Rail Social Value Tool
The Rail Social Value Tool is an online tool developed for the GB rail industry to monitor and measure the social value of its projects and day-to-day operations. At this online session, Wednesday 18 January, 10-11am, Tom Hall from RSSB will outline how and why the rail industry is using the tool and discuss opportunities for community rail to engage with it. For Community Rail Network members only. Book your place here.
Networking for CRP chairs hybrid event
Following our successful and well-received events in September, we are running another event for CRP chairs to get together and discuss plans for the year, the wider context, opportunities and challenges. It will be a hybrid event on Wednesday 25 January, in person at Millennium Point in Birmingham, and can be joined online too. All CRP chairs should have received the booking details by email, or ask your usual support and development contact.
Station adoption feature
To remind, in February, we will be putting together a special feature for Community Rail News on the fantastic work of station adoption groups across the network. Please email Erin by Friday 27 January on erin@communityrail.org.uk with your content, ideas, or to discuss further.
If you have any news stories, please email our communications team on news@communityrail.org.uk.
Your next bulletin is on 25 January. Keep up-to-date in between on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Best wishes,
Jeremy and Jools
- Community rail colleagues invited to join online launch of Gloucestershire CRP’s rail to leisure toolkit
- Platform brings together rail education and festive celebrations
- Warm-Up Wednesday sessions commence at Lowestoft Railway Station
- Ribbon cutting to mark completion of Okehampton station heritage restoration projects
- Hereward CRP encourages communities to engage in local transport planning
- Severnside CRP links local community with Christmas events throughout festive season
- New doodle art installed at Alderley Edge Station
- Community Rail Lancashire launches rebranded education programme ‘TrainEd’
- Exhibition space at Andover Station showcases local community artwork
- Santa Express welcomes new timetable on the Abbey Line
- Cambrian Railway Partnership seeks new Chairperson
