CrossCountry and Virgin Trains have enabled several young members of the Proud Trust to access a vitally important residential through their provision of travel for the group.

The Proud Trust is a life-saving and life enhancing organisation that helps young LGBT+ people empower themselves to make a positive change for themselves and their communities. They have been working collaboratively with the COLOURS network with lead worker Chloe Cousins, which brings together LGBT+ young people and youth workers of colour to share and learn together.  Read more here: https://www.communityraillancashire.co.uk/news/train-companies-support-lgbt-youth-charity-work/

North Cheshire CRP are proud and delighted to be part of the fast growing community rail movement. Each project gives a creative opportunity for everyone involved. Over the past few months we successfully held our first rail safety session at Elton Primary school and recruited new volunteers who help us to make a difference at the local stations. Together with our partners we launched an art project in Castle Park in Frodsham and celebrated re-opening of the Halton Curve, a short section of the railway track that connects North Wales and Chester to Liverpool airport and city centre.  For more information follow us on Twitter.

Two new planters were installed on Platform 1 at Stoke-on-Trent Station in June.  Funded by Virgin Trains and by the North Staffordshire CRP, these provide some welcome colour to the station.  The planters were made by construction students Luke and Jake from Stoke-on-Trent College.  In addition, a very tired existing planter on the same platform was replanted with herbs, available for picking by passers-by. A volunteer station adopter from Longton Station, Ruth Shaw, led on the plantings and is dead heading, weeding and watering as required.

Keele University MA Creative Writing student, Dean Brindley, has had his poem “Circus Train” displayed in the Platform 2 Waiting Room at Stoke-on-Trent Station. He reimagines the atmospheric arrival of the Barnum and Bailey’s Circus Train at the station as the animals arrive in their hundreds to take up their winter quarters in the city. The poster was installed by Claire Sandys, Community Rail Officer for the North Staffordshire CRP.

Mark Taylor, Virgin Trains Station Manager at Stoke-on-Trent, said: “We have been proud to serve Stoke-on-Trent for over 22 years. It’s a great city I thought I knew well but I was amazed to discover this part of our railway heritage, which is brought to life in Dean’s poem, Circus Train. We work hard to champion the cities, towns and local communities we serve, and we’re delighted to present this piece of work which reveals an usual part of Stoke-on-Trent’s history to the thousands of people who travel through the station every week.”

Achievements so far in 2019 has seen WiCR’s Code of Conduct adopted by the Department for Transport (DfT), Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) and many Community Rail Partnerships. It sets out standards of behaviour for anyone involved in Community Rail both paid staff and volunteers.

A film showing ‘Opportunities in Community Rail’ was launched on Friday 21^st June at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) offices to an invited audience. It was aired across the concourse at Manchester Piccadilly. Since then it has been shown at the West Midlands Trains conference in Liverpool where it was well received. The film commissioned by WiCR was funded by Network Rail, Northern Rail and highlights careers and volunteering opportunities in community rail.

A branch of WiCR in the South of England is being launched on 27th September in GTR, Monument Place, 24 Monument Street, London, EC3R 8AJ. If you live in the area please feel free to attend. For any further information on any of the above items please contact margebirch@icloud.com.