Hello everyone. We’re looking forward to seeing many of you at the Community Rail Awards in Swansea in just over a week’s time – it looks set to be a fantastic celebratory evening!
Contributions for new Value of Community Rail report
We are calling on all our members to input examples and evidence on your impact for our new report on the Value of Community Rail, sponsored by Rail Delivery Group. This resource is especially critical at this time as we look to develop new collaborative opportunities and diversify community rail’s support. It will build on our 2019 report, with new data and stories showing the impact community rail has contributed to delivering each pillar of the DfT’s Community Rail Development Strategy.
Input from members is critical, so we ask you to respond to the survey going this week to CRPs and station groups. If you have any questions, contact Rob Lowson.
Influencing
We have published the first in a series of policy position statements, on encouraging and enabling sustainable travel. This sets out our position and recommendations on this theme, drawing on community rail experiences, insights and wider evidence, and will be used through meetings and consultations. We hope members will also be able to use the statements to highlight the strategic role community rail can play at local level. The next statement, on accessibility and inclusion, will be published next month.
Call for evidence
The Transport Select Committee is calling for evidence on the draft Rail Reform Bill, which proposes legislation needed to deliver reforms envisioned in the Plan for Rail. The deadline is Wednesday 27 March; Community Rail Network is currently reviewing.
Railway 200 session
Join us on Thursday 28 March, 1-2pm, to hear from Emma Robertson, Railway 200 project manager, about how you can get involved with the celebrations. Join the session here. If you’d like to discuss your Railway 200 plans in more detail, contact Sarah Chilton.
Station gardening session
Don’t forget to join Garden Organic at our next training session on Monday 11 March, 6.30-8.30pm, if you’re interested in creating and maintaining planters at your station that utilise limited resources and benefit wildlife all year round. Members only. Book your place.
Team changes
Daniel Wright and Caroline Thompson-Noble in our team are moving on to pastures new, and we wish them both the very best for the future. Caroline’s hard work on a Paths for All funding bid to expand sustainable travel development across our Scottish CRPs has proved successful, meaning we are able to recruit not just a successor for Caroline, but two part-time education officers in Scotland. We will keep you informed.
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, a Community Rail Awards special edition, is on 20 March. Keep up-to-date in between on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.
Best wishes,
Jeremy and Jools
- Apply for GWR’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund
- Promote tourism in your community this March with Visit England
- Railway Innovation Awards now open for applications
- Transport for the North explores impact of transport-related social exclusion
- Grow Wild funding available to support nature projects led by young people
- High Peak & Hope Valley CRP helps Glossop visitors get from rail to trail
- Rail Minister officially opens Battle Station community hub
- Homelessness charities explore ‘a sense of place’ in Wrexham Station artwork
- Town map installed at Handforth Station thanks to Crewe-Manchester CRP grant
- Myth-busting and rail safety: watch Platform’s ‘Railway Reality Check’ video
- Showcasing social value and impact with Southeast Communities Rail Partnership
- Station Adoption Spotlight: meet the Blythe Bridge team
