{"id":228388,"date":"2025-06-02T19:38:16","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T09:38:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/railuk.com\/?p=178141"},"modified":"2025-06-02T19:38:16","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T09:38:16","slug":"on-track-for-a-purpose-a-mother-daughter-journey-through-britains-railways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=228388","title":{"rendered":"On Track for a Purpose: A Mother-Daughter Journey Through Britain\u2019s Railways"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

At the start of the year, Margate Platform staff member\u00a0Kudakwashe\u00a0Osoba made a quiet but
determined resolution: 2025 would be the year she\u2019d 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought, \u2018I could visit each one in the month it represents, and that will surely get me out of
the house,\u2019\u201d Kuda recalled.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s photo didn\u2019t begin its service until the 11th. \u201cBack to the
drawing board!\u201d Kuda laughed. \u201cShe\u2019s got out of control!\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

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\u2019s 2025 calendar, a month-by-
month journey that celebrates the rich heritage of Britain\u2019s railways and marks the\u00a0Railway200\u00a0bicentenary.<\/p>\n

Their travels also serve a deeper purpose: to raise awareness and funds for\u00a0Railway Mission,
the organisation that supports the wellbeing of railway staff and passengers through its team of
chaplains. It\u2019s a cause close to Kuda\u2019s heart, and one woven into every step of the journey.\u00a0“Fund-
raising is fun, but when it’s for such a worthy cause, it makes it all the more worthwhile”.<\/p>\n

To make things even more memorable, Kuda is crafting a\u00a0verbatim poem\u00a0for 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n

Image credit: Railway Mission<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>At the start of the year, Margate Platform staff member\u00a0Kudakwashe\u00a0Osoba made a quiet butdetermined resolution: 2025 would be the year she\u2019d travel more and do it for fun. The spark for thisidea came in the form of a calendar, gifted by Lee Woolcott-Ellis, Southeastern\u2019s Wellbeing Lead. Thecalendar, produced by the Railway Mission, featured a different [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":[2348,16013,8221,47,85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-228388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-charity","category-general-interest","category-people","category-rail-news","category-uk"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t