At the start of the year, Margate Platform staff member Kudakwashe Osoba made a quiet but
determined resolution: 2025 would be the year she’d travel more and do it for fun. The spark for this
idea came in the form of a calendar, gifted by Lee Woolcott-Ellis, Southeastern’s Wellbeing Lead. The
calendar, produced by the Railway Mission, featured a different railway scene from across the UK
each month, stations, trains, and landscapes steeped in history and beauty.
“I thought, ‘I could visit each one in the month it represents, and that will surely get me out of
the house,’” Kuda recalled.
What began as a personal challenge quickly became a shared adventure when her daughter,
Dani, decided to come along. True to her grammar school-honed thoroughness, Dani dove into the
details. Their plan to kick things off on Saturday, January 4th, was quickly foiled, she discovered that
the Pullman train featured in January’s photo didn’t begin its service until the 11th. “Back to the
drawing board!” Kuda laughed. “She’s got out of control!”
But the slight detour only added to the charm of the experience. Now, six months in, Kuda and
Dani have visited half the locations featured in the Railway Mission’s 2025 calendar, a month-by-
month journey that celebrates the rich heritage of Britain’s railways and marks the Railway200 bicentenary.
Their travels also serve a deeper purpose: to raise awareness and funds for Railway Mission,
the organisation that supports the wellbeing of railway staff and passengers through its team of
chaplains. It’s a cause close to Kuda’s heart, and one woven into every step of the journey. “Fund-
raising is fun, but when it’s for such a worthy cause, it makes it all the more worthwhile”.
To make things even more memorable, Kuda is crafting a verbatim poem for each location.
These poems draw on observations, conversations, sounds, and sights from their visits, capturing the
essence of each railway stop in creative, heartfelt verse.
What began as a simple idea has grown into something far richer: a tribute to the railways
that connect Britain, a celebration of family, and a creative journey that inspires connection,
discovery, and purpose. And as their calendar flips to its next destination, Kuda and Dani remain
firmly on track, sharing their story one station, one poem, and one train at a time.
Image credit: Railway Mission