Hello everyone. We hope you have all kept well and cool through the record heatwave that gripped the country last week. The weather really brought home the need for coordinated efforts to address the climate emergency, not least to decarbonise transport; community rail has never been more relevant.
GBR consultation
Thank you to members who responded to our mini-survey to inform our response to the Department for Transport’s current consultation on Great British Railways legislative change. Your input was critical, and please note that your views will be used with not only this consultation but our ongoing, more detailed conversations with the GBR Transition Team. By the end of this week we will share our consultation response (via social media and on our website) which we hope you will find useful, including in relation to your own response if you are submitting one.
Community Rail Development Fund (CRDF)
We are encouraging all eligible community rail partnerships in England and Wales (those accredited by the Department for Transport) to consider how you might draw on this year’s Community Rail Development Fund. The fund continues to be used to deliver amazing projects across the country in support of the Community Rail Development Strategy’s four pillars, with grants of up to £25,000. The application form and criteria are here. Please speak to your usual contact in our support and development team to discuss your bid ideas, or email us with any queries. We’re also running an interactive online session on 1 September 11am-12:30pm, going through the criteria, and giving examples of previous funded projects, with plenty of time for discussion and questions. Register here.
Community rail artistic projects: advice on creative rights
We are pleased to be publishing new guidance sponsored by Northern on creative rights for artistic projects. Many community rail partnerships and station groups work with creative professionals to deliver projects, such as artwork at stations, promotional films, posters and logos. These projects are usually a great success, but issues can arise around copyright and intellectual property rights. This guidance will help you understand the key considerations and pre-empt issues. Read the guidance.
AGM and board elections
Although our AGM is not until 1 November, we will soon be inviting applications for new board members to play a role in shaping the future direction of the organisation and community rail. If you are interested or know someone who might be, please keep an eye out for our board elections information pack, which will be available in the coming weeks, or feel free to contact our Chair Richard Burningham for an informal chat.
Industrial action
As you will be aware, strikes are taking place this week and throughout much of the summer. We’re sure you will all be keeping abreast of the latest and in contact with train operator partners on how this impacts on local railways and your activities.
Your next bulletin is on 10 August. Keep up-to-date in between on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
If you have any news stories, please contact the comms team news@communityrail.org.uk
Best wishes
Jools and Richard
- DfT reports on progress on transport decarbonisation
- Siemens Mobility providing volunteers for community rail projects
- Careers day for asylum seekers hosted by Essex and South Suffolk CRP and Greater Anglia
- Mural unveiled at Leamington Spa Station
- Three guided heritage walks in August and September from North Staffordshire CRP stations
- Printed timetables help people without internet access on Bittern and Wherry Lines
- A Taste of Thailand along the Penistone Line
- Railway art meets social history in milestone birthday for Urmston Station
- Film premiere held at Barnstaple Station to launch North Devon tourism videos
- Judging underway for Stations in Bloom awards
- ‘A day in the life of a Westerfield Station bee’ wins wildlife competition
