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Community Rail News – 20 September 2023

Hello everyone, we hope you are all keeping well.

Members’ survey

Our annual members’ survey launches next week. We are keen to hear the views and ideas of all members, to shape our work and help us to continue responding to the needs of the growing community rail movement, especially in this challenging environment. We warmly encourage you to respond, which should take 10 minutes. As last year, there’s one version for community rail partnerships and one for station groups, but this year more than one person per membership can respond. If you’ve not received your link by the end of Monday 2 October, please contact Rob.

Community engagement workshop

Our community engagement workshop, originally due to take place in Sheffield on Tuesday 17 October, has been rearranged, and will now be held online on Wednesday 1 November, 9.30am-1pm. The session will explore how community rail partnerships and station groups can engage effectively with their local communities. We’ll look at community engagement models and share ideas about how they could be used in your localities. Book your place.

Railway 200

Plans are taking shape to mark the 200th anniversary of Britain’s railway in 2025. The rail industry and its partners will be celebrating with a year-long programme of events, activities and promotions, providing plenty of opportunity for community rail to get involved. The official Railway 200 website will be launched Wednesday 27 September. Details on how to get involved will follow, or chat to Sarah C or Alice, who sit on the Railway 200 steering group.

Sustainable travel campaigns

There are several campaigns taking place or coming up that offer opportunities for you to shout about your work in community rail and partner with others to champion sustainable, inclusive travel:

  • Catch the Bus Month is ongoing through September, organised by our friends at Bus Users UK;
  • World Car Free Day is 22 September, with lots of organisations organising events worldwide;
  • Community Transport Week is 16-21 October, a chance to collaborate with and promote links with local community transport providers (see below for more).

Let us know if you’re getting involved or keen to do more to promote and develop your links with those promoting other modes of sustainable transport.     

Funding opportunity

The Landfill Communities Fund, administered by ENTRUST, aims to offset the environmental costs of landfills through supporting local community projects. Projects must be within 10 miles of an Environment Agency registered landfill site in England and match a specific area of work, such as conservation or promotion of biodiversity, restoration of land, or maintenance or improvement of a public amenity. Find out more.

If you have any news stories, please email our communications team on news@communityrail.org.uk. See here for guidance on submitting stories.

Your next bulletin is on 4 October. Keep up-to-date in between on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Best wishes,
Jeremy and Jools