The intergenerational, multimedia project ‘Shaping our Past, Building our Future’, undertaken by the Friends of Blair Atholl Station, set out to help the community reconnect with its neglected station, reinforcing its important place in the future of the village and the Highland Line.

Aided by National Lottery Heritage Funding, the project began recording oral histories of those who remembered the station in its heyday – older villagers, rail employees and longstanding visitors. The interviews were posted as podcasts online via the Friends group’s website and YouTube channel, as well as later published as a book. One of the personal histories was transformed into an animated short film and a children’s storybook, entitled ‘Mike’s Station’. Two workshops on station history and animation were delivered at the local primary school, and the volunteers hosted a trip for every single pupil to come and visit the station.

As the culmination of the project, the threads of past, present and potential future of Blair Atholl Station were brought together in a weekend-long, well-attended exhibition in the village hall. The volunteers are now working on the next stage of their plan, seeking funding for a feasibility study to renovate the empty stationhouse into a thriving community hub.

Great Western Railway REACH and Network Rail Cultural Fusion staff networks are dedicated to the advancement of diversity and inclusion in their areas of the rail industry. Both networks wanted to play a part in celebrating Caribbean culture at the world’s largest community-led event, the Notting Hill Carnival, and collaborated with Severnside CRP to make it happen.

The project involved providing free rail travel from Bristol Temple Meads to London Paddington to help reduce barriers to rail travel and open opportunities to underrepresented groups, who would otherwise not have been able to attend the diverse, celebratory event. This included members of Bristol Black Carers, Bath Black Families Education Group, Bath Ethnic Minority Senior Citizens Association and St Nicholas of Tolentine School.

To create a carnival atmosphere on the train, Bristol artist Abbi Baylis was commissioned to create art packs for those attending to help festoon the carriages with carnival-themed artwork, Glen’s Kitchen, a Caribbean Café in Bristol, was selected to provide Jamaican snacks, and a steel band greeted the passengers at Paddington Station.

This first of its kind event provided a fantastic opportunity for Severnside CRP to collaborate with the rail industry, investing in positive travel experiences for local communities and showcase their shared commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion.