{"id":21164,"date":"2024-03-19T22:37:27","date_gmt":"2024-03-19T12:37:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=21164"},"modified":"2024-03-19T22:37:27","modified_gmt":"2024-03-19T12:37:27","slug":"community-led-projects-connecting-people-with-rail-recognised-at-national-awards-ceremony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=21164","title":{"rendered":"Community-led projects connecting people with rail recognised at national awards ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"

An inspiring range of community rail initiatives, delivered by community rail partnerships, station friends volunteers, and other community groups across Britain, has been celebrated at the 19th Community Rail Awards<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The event, organised by Community Rail Network<\/a> and jointly sponsored by Transport for Wales and Great Western Railway, was this year held in Swansea and joined by 430 guests including senior rail and transport leaders and community rail officers and volunteers. It recognised projects supporting diversity, accessibility and inclusion, sustainable travel and tourism, youth and schools engagement, community-led station improvements, empowered communities and influencing positive change.<\/p>\n

19 winners were recognised, chosen from 180 entries, demonstrating the positive impact of the community rail movement, enriching lives, enhancing local places, and promoting sustainable and inclusive travel and mobility.<\/p>\n

The Outstanding Contribution to Community Rail Award was awarded jointly to:<\/p>\n

Gloucestershire Community Rail Partnership<\/strong>\u00a0in recognition of their inspirational initiatives in the past year including:<\/p>\n

An\u00a0impressive programme of activities engaging over 950 young people, empowering them through rail, and helping them have a voice<\/p>\n

Improving accessible travel confidence, including highlighting step-free and accessible routes from each station<\/p>\n

Working with housing developers to encourage sustainable and active travel for new homeowners<\/p>\n

Developing \u2018Train Tripper\u2019, a website promoting car-free travel by highlighting the carbon reduction and savings of sustainable trips by rail<\/p>\n

Co\u00f6peratie Stationspark Deurne<\/strong>, a station volunteer group in the Netherlands putting community rail on the world map. Not only have the group set up an impressive range of initiatives at their station \u2013 including bicycle service point, community garden, artwork, book exchange and Fairtrade catering facility \u2013 they are helping community rail to spread across the Netherlands. Thanks to their passion and dedication, community rail is now being officially recognised and a network is developing across the country.<\/p>\n

The Community Rail Awards recognise the crucial, often unsung work of community rail partnerships, station friends and other community rail groups, which continue to grow in number and impact, under Community Rail Network\u2019s umbrella. There are now 77 CRPs and an estimated 1,200 station groups spread across Britain (and now a few beyond too).<\/p>\n

Details of all winners are\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0and listed below.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jools Townsend, chief executive, Community Rail Network, said:\u00a0\u201cOur Community Rail Awards give deserved recognition to community rail partnerships, groups and volunteers across Britain and now beyond. This year\u2019s ceremony in Swansea saw 430 guests from across the community rail movement and transport sector celebrating community rail\u2019s role building stronger, fairer, greener communities, served and connected by their railways and wider sustainable transport network. It was fantastic to have our first winners from outside Britain this year. Our\u00a0congratulations\u00a0go to all our winners, and thanks to everyone who supports and champions community rail across the rail and transport field, helping the movement to go from strength to strength.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rail Minister Huw Merriman MP said:\u00a0\u201cThe Community Rail Awards are important in recognising the incredible work of volunteers and community groups improving our rail network. I was lucky enough to see first hand the difference these projects are making when I met with some of those taking part including during my rail tour last summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether it\u2019s improving accessibility in stations or engaging with young people about rail, I\u2019d like to thank each and every one for their contribution and the impact they\u2019ve made.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marie Daly,\u00a0Chief Customer and Culture Officer, Transport for Wales, said:\u00a0\u201cWe were thrilled to co-sponsor this year\u2019s awards in beautiful Swansea and celebrate the amazing work being done across the UK and particularly across our own network.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re so lucky to be able to work with so many amazing communities and organisations through our Community Rail Partnerships and really believe that by connecting and encouraging collaboration among businesses and organisations in local communities, we can empower those communities to work together on a whole range of social, economic, cultural and environmental issues, as well as showcase the best our network has to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark Hopwood, Managing Director, Great Western Railway said:\u00a0\u201cGWR has 11 Community Rail Partnerships on our network and we are incredibly proud of the work they do. They have great local knowledge and I know that they all work incredibly hard, as volunteers, inspiring sustainable improvements to their community and adding so much value to the local economy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey continue to deliver a host of worthwhile projects and I am delighted to see them gain such deserved recognition at the 2024 Community Rail Awards.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is especially pleasing that Gloucestershire Community Rail Partnership has been recognised too for the Outstanding Contribution to Community Rail Award\u00a0and so well deserved.\u201d<\/p>\n

The night\u2019s winners across all categories were (read more online\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>):<\/p>\n

Community Rail Network Award for Outstanding Contribution to Community Rail<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gloucestershire Community Rail Partnership\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>and\u00a0Co\u04e7peratie Stationspark Deurne<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Board\u2019s Special Recognition Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

Heather Cullimore<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0of\u00a0Severnside Community Rail Partnership<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Outstanding Volunteer Contribution<\/strong>\u00a0sponsored by Eversholt Rail<\/em><\/p>\n

Barbara Mine\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>of\u00a0Bishopstone Community Hub<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Involving Children and Young People<\/strong>\u00a0sponsored by London North Eastern Railway<\/em><\/p>\n

Community Rail Lancashire\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>for\u00a0Feel Good Field Trips<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Empowering Diverse Groups<\/strong>\u00a0sponsored by East Midlands Railway<\/em><\/p>\n

Platform: A Joint Community Rail Education Programme\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>for\u00a0This Mighty Traveller<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Community Creative Projects and Station Arts\u00a0<\/strong>sponsored by Avanti West Coast<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Large & medium groups:<\/p>\n

Leeds-Morecambe Community Rail Partnership\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>for\u00a0\u2018Rail and Sail\u2019 Heysham Port Developments<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Small groups:<\/p>\n

The Camberwell Society<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0for\u00a0Denmark Hill Station Art Trail<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Small Projects Award (under \u00a3500)<\/strong>\u00a0sponsored by Community Rail Lancashire<\/em><\/p>\n

Reading to Basingstoke Community Rail Partnership\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>for\u00a0Reading and Petersfield Station Winter Warmers<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Most Effective Communications Campaign\u00a0<\/strong>sponsored by West Midlands Trains<\/em><\/p>\n

Community Rail Education Network\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>for\u00a0Arlo\u2019s Adventures: There and Back<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Best Community Engagement Project<\/strong>\u00a0sponsored by\u00a0SLC Rail & SLC Property<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Severnside Community Rail Partnership, GWR REACH and Network Rail Cultural Fusion\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>for\u00a0Carnival Train<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Tourism & Leisure Award\u00a0<\/strong>sponsored by Scenic Rail Britain<\/em><\/p>\n

Cambrian Railway Partnership\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>for\u00a0Cambrian Railway Partnership Inclusive Bi-Lingual Window Seater Project<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Influencing Positive Change and Sustainability\u00a0<\/strong>sponsored by RSSB<\/em><\/p>\n

Community Rail Education Network and Cross Country\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>for\u00a0Travel Green with Daffnee Green<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Most Enhanced Railway Spaces\u00a0<\/strong>sponsored by Greater Anglia<\/em><\/p>\n

Bricket Wood Station Heritage Trust\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>for\u00a0Restoration of Bricket Wood Station<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s Your Station<\/strong>\u00a0sponsored by Merseyrail<\/em><\/p>\n

Lead Bronze \u2013\u00a0Longton Station Adopters<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Lead Silver \u2013\u00a0Whyteleafe Community Hub<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Lead Gold \u2013\u00a0Friends of Brighouse Station<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Lead Platinum \u2013\u00a0Friends of Hindley Station<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Photo Competition | capturing the essence of community rail in 2023\/24<\/strong>\u00a0sponsored by Porterbrook<\/em><\/p>\n

Friends of Goostrey Station\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>for\u00a0Beavers Doing Their Best<\/strong><\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An inspiring range of community rail initiatives, delivered by community rail partnerships, station friends volunteers, and other community groups across Britain, has been celebrated at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":21165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[7,11],"class_list":["post-21164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rail-news","tag-transport","tag-usa"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21164"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21164\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}