Hello, and happy new year to you all. We hope you managed to have a good Christmas break, despite the circumstances. This week we’re sharing our revised Covid-19 guidance, reminding of support we’re offering through the pandemic, and looking at our 2021-22 priorities. And, as usual, scroll down for cheering stories from across our membership.
If you have stories for future bulletins, please send them to Nik.
Support and guidance through the pandemic
Our Covid-19 guidance for community rail partnerships, groups and partners has been thoroughly reviewed and updated in line with the new lockdowns. Given the ‘stay at home’ message, and having scrutinised the rules, we’re advising that station adoption/other in-person community rail activity is put on hold again for the time being, until restrictions start to be eased. Our guidance is pinned at the top of our news page whenever you need it, and if you have queries about what it means for you, contact your usual person in our support and development team.
You’ll also find a raft of useful resources on our website, including:
- A short resource on coping with change – to help you deal with uncertainty
- Guidance on communications, tourism, youth engagement and station travel planning – to help you strengthen your approach and plan ahead
- Our briefing and webinar recording on community rail’s role in recovery – to help you to get ready to help your communities and railways build back better.
We also continue to offer tailored advice and support to suit your needs, including:
- Acting as a sounding board and discussing ideas and opportunities by phone/email/video
- Joining your online meetings where you’re looking for specific help and advice on something
- Offering online ‘surgeries’ or facilitated training sessions to help your whole team/group/partnership develop skills and awareness or consider your approach on a particular topic
- Putting you in touch with other members/partners for advice, ideas and expertise.
Let your main support & development team contact know if we can help in these ways.
Planning for the next financial year
It’s not the easiest time to be planning ahead, but we’re currently drafting work plans for the next financial year. As usual, we’re drawing heavily on our last members’ survey, as well as the contact we have with members and partners year-round. To give you a flavour of some of our top priorities, we’ll be focusing on:
- Helping community rail to support Covid recovery and building back better, including through inclusive and empowering local engagement in a post-Covid world
- Helping community rail to come through this challenging context, such as developing a sustainable, diverse funding base, planning ahead and selling the benefits
- Promoting and helping the community rail movement promote travel by train, especially sustainable tourism and leisure travel, to support economic recovery and transport decarbonisation
- Getting the word out more widely about the community rail movement, and sharing its unique insights with new audiences
Let your usual team contact know if you have comments or ideas. Once our plans are drawn up, we’ll share with you a calendar of 2021-22 resources, events, themes and activities.
Your next bulletin is on 13th Jan. Keep up-to-date in between on Twitter and Facebook.
Best wishes,
Jools and Richard
News from our members
- Bolton community rail groups help out with festive gifts for local families
- Christmas colour provides a festive boost for Tyne Valley Line stations
- Coke Ovens sign returns to the railway at Lowestoft
- Job vacancy: senior transportation officer (Rail Policy) – Stockport MBC
