What we've done so far

Who's involved?

Our Friends of Albrighton Station Adoption joined our Station Adopter Scheme and are now part of our railway family who has taken on this wonderful project to bring communities together.

The project explained

This project will see a group set up in and around Albrighton station in Shropshire (including catchment of the outlying villages) called ‘Rail and Ramble’. The purpose of the group will be to deliver regular events across our Shrewsbury – Wolverhampton railway line encouraging the local community to join the group and experience their 'Rail and Ramble' excursions. The Parish Council minibus will also be available to offer people connections to the train service.

Who's involved?

This project is brought to you thanks to Staffordshire County Council who aim to help and improve Staffordshire's county. The Council has helped provide additional parking in Codsall, but noticed that the route to the Codsall station could be improved with a lit footway.

The project explained

Our Your Community, Your Fund grant will help develop that much needed safe and dry pathway to our station from the Parish Council Car Park. This will alleviate roadside walkways and will help provide safe access to the station. This project will also lead to community engagement to facilitate the adoption of the station which will be launched during the life of the project.

Who's involved?

Innovate Malvern is a social enterprise that promotes all aspects of innovation at a grass-roots level in and around Malvern with the aim is to highlight the importance of science, technology, engineering & mathematics (STEM) amongst students of all ages, encourage engineering and technology companies to flourish by interacting with the local community, and drive creativity in business and enterprise through networking activities and local collaboration.

The project explained

The annual Malvern Festival of Innovation marks its 10th edition this year and will run 4th-10th October 2021 in the town of Great Malvern. The programme will include the Next Generation Innovators schools day, a series of business-themed symposia, evening talks, and a Family Day.

The aim of the project is to promote and showcase STEM, attract visitors to the town, and encourage entrepreneurship and collaboration through networking.

Ahead of the Festival, the project also includes the associated Malvern Science in the Park event that will take place in Priory Park on Saturday 26th June 2021. This will be a series of open-air exhibits and demonstrations relating to physics, chemistry, biology, materials, geology, astronomy and more, as well as short talks about science from the band-stand. The day is particularly suited to families with school-aged children and the venue is a short walk from Great Malvern station.

Q&A with Dr Adrian Burden (Founder)

1. Why did you want to get involved in this project? - Ten years ago, I thought Malvern would be the ideal town to host an event that brought people together to showcase innovative thinking and promote the importance of STEM subjects. I was inspired that the Hay Literature Festival attracted both high calibre authors and a wide audience to a remote location each year that boosted the local economy and felt we could emulate this success in the world of innovation.
2. What will this project do for the local community? - The Festival will bring visitors to the town to not only enjoy the Festival but all the attractions Malvern has to offer. The events will also enthuse local school students and their families about STEM careers and attract regional businesses to showcase their innovative products and services.
3. Who's involved in the project? - The events are managed by Innovate Malvern, a small social enterprise, that engages with numerous organisations and stakeholders to enable the Festival to be staged. These include numerous venues around the town, local chapters of national learned societies like the Institute of Physics, The IET and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, as well as the local district council, local schools and local business community.
4. What are your top objectives for this project? - Our short-term aim is to have a buzzing series of events that are interesting, engaging, and informative. Longer-term, we try to measure impact where we hear that people have won contracts, formed collaborations, changed their career plans, or even relocated to Malvern because they were influenced by the Festival.

The project explained

When legal restrictions ease, the Great Malvern Brass Band will be performing live music to support community events in the area. Our Your Community, Your Fund grant will enable the Band to purchase facilities such as an event gazebo and sound system for mobile entertainment on stations and in the local area.

Who’s involved?

This project has brought together a range of groups including Friends of Hall Green Library (FoHGL), Hall Green Station Adopters, Hall Green and District Amateur Gardening Society, Sarehole Environmental Action Team (SEAT), Birmingham Park Rangers, Hall Green Litter Angels, local Businesses and local Artists and Poets.

The project explained

This funded project will connect Hall Green Library to the Station Hub, with the aim to promote local literary assets and encourage community engagement. Increasing the literary displays at the station and making closer alignments between the town's book community and travelling rail passengers. We hope that this project will encourage greater use of the library’s reading and learning opportunities and help enhance the welcoming appearance and available information at Hall Green Station. We also hope that we will be able to extend this project to other neighbouring stations by the end of the project year. This project comes straight after and builds on the success of the Hall Green Station Adopter's monthly poem displays in the Hall Green Station Waiting Room.

Project aim

Inspire and support local groups to create a “community spirit” across Hall Green.

Who's involved?

Our amazing Heart of Hednesford Station Adoption Group was awarded the grant for this amazing project that will transform weeds and abandoned spaces into an area to be proud of.

The project explained

This project is to install a fully restored B.R. railway carriage (either a B.R. box or brake van) and a coal wagon on to a section of track located alongside the existing Anglesey Street Car Park with the aim to clear the rest of the area for a garden. This will provide a town centre community hub and will enhance the station area, which at present is overgrown.

The new community hub unit will be surrounded by landscaped space in place of the existing storage container. The funding will help clear the area, purchase the carriage and track and install the new community facility. The hub will function as a support space for town residents as well as rail users and will provide accommodation for many town community groups as well as be the venue for book clubs, tea parties and local gatherings.

Who's involved?

We are delighted to be working with a talented urban gardener, local volunteers and the Jewellery Quarter BID (JQBID) on this fantastic project to makeover one of our stations.

We were delighted to see JQBID get involved as their main aim is to supports businesses around the Jewellery Quarter and deliver exciting projects to promote the historic area of Birmingham.

The project explained

The 'Greening a Grey' project will be a major community effort to install an eco-garden at Jewellery Quarter station, one of Birmingham’s busiest inner-city railway stations.

The main feature of this project is the two ‘living walls’, designed by lead station adopter and local garden designer Gaynor Steele. The walls will incorporate plants and shrubs, which will be split across the two panels at the front of the station. The plants will help to improve the air condition and help eliminate pollution, enhancing the environment for passengers and local residents.

The ‘green makeover’ is designed to show how an urban railway station can tackle pollution with careful planting schemes, wildflowers and vertical systems to improve biodiversity and improve local air quality. The project will also include edible planting, rainwater collection, art panels and the creation of green areas to soften the landscape and provide spaces for passengers to relax and learn more about the fascinations of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.

The JQBID will also be working with the local community to develop art murals that will be fitted alongside the platforms and throughout the station walkways. The project will also involve training opportunities for the local community, for those who want to develop their own urban gardening projects.

Read up on what our Head of Stakeholder & Community Engagement had to say.

Who's involved?

The Birmingham Popular Music Archive aims to celebrate and recognise popular music activities from Birmingham. Its intention is to inspire civic pride and build an archive that represents all music activity (inc venues, record shops, radio stations and so on, not just musicians) that crosses all communities (ethnicity, gender, subcultures etc) that users can engage with and build thereby creating new knowledge about Birmingham, popular music and social history.

The project explained

This project funding is to part-finance a creative arts and technology project to install themed maps addressing music history, heritage and culture in ten stations across the West Midlands Railway network. Maps are synonymous with travel, location and information and are linked to place networks at points of arrival and departure. These visually stunning art-music maps will create instant connections with passengers and act as a storytelling tool informing travellers of the musical routes of world-famous artists originating in the West Midlands. The content of this project is a 'hidden secret' for Birmingham's local and national awareness and will provide a timely new attraction to appeal to domestic tourists visiting the West Midlands post-Covid.

Q&A with Musical Routes' Jez Collins

1. Why did you want to get involved in the project?

I’m passionate about Birmingham’s music history, heritage and culture and I don’t think we celebrate it enough. This project allows us to potentially reach hundreds of thousands of people each year, as they go about their business on the train network. It’s just a fantastic opportunity to highlight, through beautiful maps, some of Birmingham’s great musicians and venues, but also as people are on the train and moving around the network, to inform them with some little known facts, so in the course of their journey, they might think “I didn’t know that! I learnt something new today about Birmingham music!”

2. What will this project do for the local community?

I’m hopeful that the project inspires and engenders civic pride in our communities, about some of the people, the spaces and places that are important in those areas. And that it might encourage people to listen to the music, to even make music or get involved in the industry themselves, once they become aware of the history and heritage that surrounds them.

3. Who is involved in the project?

We have a really strong team! I run the Birmingham Music Archive , a creative and cultural organisation that seeks to capture, document, celebrate and preserve Birmingham’s music history, heritage and culture. I’m working alongside Jennie Sandford who will be helping with community engagement and social media, sharing the work that we’re doing. Adam at SPACE_PLAY , a creative skills studio specialising in architectural and urban design work and famous for their mini cast concrete models of iconic Brutalist architecture, is another partner. He will be producing the maps and he’s got some brilliant and interesting design ideas. We also have John Sear ‘on board’ who is internationally renowned for his thinking around museums and how they use technology. Working at the magical intersection of games, theatre and tech, he will be hacking into the onboard train announcements, revealing local music history and heritage facts. Finally, we have our partners at the University of Birmingham , who are bringing academic rigour, knowledge and opportunities to the project and opening up student engagement.

4. What are your top objectives for this project?

It’s quite simple. I want more people to know more about Birmingham and the contribution of its people to local, national and international music history, heritage and culture. We have an incredibly diverse city and our music reflects the diversity of our communities but I don’t think many of those people get the recognition they should.

5. Why would you encourage others to get involved in railway community projects?

What attracted me to the project is that railway stations are central to community life, the number of people who pass through and use these stations, they’re at the heart of many communities, although we probably take them for granted. Anything we can do to bring stations to life, to animate them and make them more enjoyable spaces is a good thing. I’d encourage anyone to take look at the Our Community, Our Fund projects – they are a great example of how people can affect change in the places where they live, work or travel.

Who's involved?

The Ledbury Poetry Festival takes place over ten days each July. They are the biggest poetry festival in the UK, featuring poets from all over the world. From live readings, performances, workshops, open mic events, music, exhibitions, films, family events, street events, there's plenty Ledbury Poetry Festival has to offer.

The Poetry on Platforms project is being run by Ledbury Poetry Festival . The railway is incredibly important to the festival, as every year it brings poets, workshop leaders and festival attendees to Ledbury. Ledbury Poetry Festival will be working with the Friends of the Dymock Poets , a group dedicated to all things Dymock Poets.

The project explained

The idea for this project is to create a ‘poetry trail’ between Hereford and Worcester culminating at Ledbury.

In order to celebrate both the poetic heritage of the railway and its importance to the poetry festival today, Ledbury Poetry Festival Ltd will be installing signage at stations between the two destinations. The signage will have station-specific heritage information, information about the Dymock Poets and Ledbury Poetry Festival, as well as individual QR codes that will link directly to an online poetry performance.

The first part of the project will highlight the Dymock Poets legacy. A group of friends who lived in and around the area during the early 20th century whose friendship was connected through poetry via the railway.

The second part of the project will look at the connection between the present railway line and Ledbury Poetry Festival. The Hereford to Worcester line plays a vital role as it brings poets to the festival each year, usually via Birmingham.

Overall, each part of the project has one key similarity… that being how the railway plays a vital role today as it did in the 1910s; allowing people to connect and build lasting friendships.

What is the aim of the project?

The aim of the project is to create an international poetry presence in the area and raise awareness of poetry to help increase rail usage and assist with the local town's economic and social regeneration.

The project explained

It’s the small things that can make a big difference to people’s journeys, which is why Rail for Herefordshire will be installing a freestanding Ledbury Heritage Board at the station which will include a map of the town, the history of the railway, nearby walking routes and other public transport information.

Who's involved?

Our station adoption group, Friends of Olton Station , are an amicable group of volunteers who work all year round – maintaining and tending our station's planters, hanging baskets and adding a touch of festivity during the holidays.

The project explained

Friends of Olton Station will be using their segment of the grant to celebrate the heritage of the station in prize-winning bloom and gardening efforts for over 100 years. The grant will purchase two new planters to mark 20 years of station adoption and volunteer activity by the current adoption group. The planters will be locally procured and installed on the Olton station platforms.

Who's involved?

This joint venture is supported by Impact 4Life Wellbeing and Communities Engage and Thrive CIC (CET).

Impact4life Wellbeing is an established social enterprise that provides invaluable support schemes that reach people who need their services. The organisation is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company whose aim is to make positive wellbeing a must-have in everyone's lifestyles.

CET is another social enterprise based in Birmingham, dedicated to supporting local individuals and communities to help improve their health and quality of life. Their vision is to improve the quality of life for adults and children by providing them with the right tools to make healthier choices for their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.

The project explained

We can all agree that good health and wellbeing is vital, which is why Impact 4Life Wellbeing and CET have been awarded part of the grant as they plan to develop health and wellbeing pop-up centres across our network.

The 'Thrive Stations' project will be providing fitness and wellbeing pop-up hubs at the designated stations. The pop-up hubs will offer fitness and wellbeing services as well as signposting services at six inner-city stations. These stations include Perry Barr, Duddeston, Jewellery Quarter, Aston Witton and Hamstead. The hubs will ‘pop-up’ to offer communities health and wellbeing advice, contacts and guidance, and links to local support systems.

Who's involved?

Currently, Halesowen has no direct rail access, which is why Halesowen BID Ltd will be taking on a project to improve ease of access to the town by increasing awareness of the rail and bus connections via Rowley Regis station.

The project explained

We will be enhancing way-finding systems both at Rowley Regis Train Station and Halesowen Bus Station with ‘Real-time Information’ screens, we will also be promoting active travel to Rowley Regis to encourage the use of the Cycle Hub already at Rowley Regis.

The new signage advising the station is the destination to commute onwards to Halesowen as well as onboard announcements.

The people of Halesowen wish to encourage local community connections and inspire people to move towards more sustainable transport via this project and promote Halesowen as an independent shopping destination and encourage rail visits in the return to rail activity in 2021.

Who's involved?

The People’s Poetry project will be a first in the West Midlands thanks to Poets, Prattlers, and Pandemonialists. The People’s Poetry project will arrange activities along The Shakespeare Line, bringing community and arts to the railway.

The project explained

Since lockdown, all stations along the Shakespeare Line (18) have all been ‘adopted’ by local volunteers. This has since connected the community and has brought inner-city, rural places and people together.

This project will arrange train ‘poetry’ recordings reminding people of the benefits of rail travel, while also connecting with visitors to the region as well as local communities and building on the success of the Pride of Place poem for community rail in 2019.

The organisers plan an innovative programme that will connect to the stations and stage pop-up events along the line (all dependent on Covid-19 restrictions), as well as celebrating the newly fully adopted line by means of a specially commissioned poem that will be published regionally.

By bringing live performances and arts to the railways, the programme will raise awareness amongst the travelling public of the benefits which artistic performances can bring to an area, bringing a feel-good factor to the railways and putting a smile on people’s faces while reaching local communities and connecting with the arts.

Q&A with the Poets, Prattlers and Pandemonialists

1. Why did you want to get involved in this project? - We wanted to get involved because we are passionate about taking poetry out into the community and making it accessible to people. This project was the perfect opportunity for us to take poetry to new audiences and present it in new locations.

2. What will this project do for the local community? - We’ll be celebrating the 'hidden gems’ along the line with poems that highlight each of the station locations and their surroundings. We hope the people who read them will see their familiar surroundings in a fresh light, and that it’ll put a smile on their faces. We’re also hoping that they’ll feel encouraged and empowered to take part in the final part of the project and write and share their own haiku about the line.

3. Who is involved in this project? - Casey Bailey, poet laureate of Birmingham, is creating the poem for the whole line, and eighteen poets from across the West Midlands will each be writing a poem for one of the stations on the line. We’re really excited to see and hear what they create.

4. What are your top objectives to achieve through this project?

   1. To add to the great work done by the station adopter groups on the Shakespeare Line in celebrating the places across the line.

   2. To share nineteen specially-created poems with the communities along the line, and the travelling public.

   3. To weave the wonder of art into the everyday.

   4. To encourage people to create and share their own haiku about their local station, what they see from the train or the joy of travel.

   5. To put a smile on people’s faces after a difficult year.

5. Why would you encourage others to get involved in railway community projects? - There’s so much to be gained from making a difference in your local community, transforming your part of the world, and working together with others. Over the past year, perhaps the importance of this has become clearer than ever...

Who's involved?

The Albion Foundation is the official charity partner of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. Their vision is to create a Proud Albion Family. The Foundation uses the power of football to deliver excellence in wellbeing, behavioural change and active lifestyles.

The project explained

Basing the project around The Hawthorns station and working with people with disabilities and learning difficulties and creating ‘Albion Memories’, ‘Baggies Buddies’ ‘Albion Cares’ ‘History & Heritage’ and 'Rail Safety and Opportunities' to help the local core community connect to the railways.

Who's involved?

This project will be run by Water Orton's station adoption group, consisting of eight members, and a researcher.

The project explained

Thanks to the Water Orton Community Action Group their awarded grant will enable the production of a printed and online information source documenting the heritage of railway in Water Orton. This project will form the initial work programme for a newly established Water Orton Station Adoption Group.

Q&A with Station Adopter Judy

1. Who is involved in your project? - The 8 station adopter group members, plus a researcher will be involved in this project.
2. What inspired you? - There is a strong desire to capture the heritage of the railway in Water Orton and how this has influenced the development of the village. The train station building is not currently in use except for access to the platform due to its poor condition. Some village residents are aware of the railway history and are keen to retain its heritage, whereas others (maybe new to the village) are unaware. There are many sources of information and verbal histories/stories which will be lost if not documented.
3. Describe the project in one sentence - The production of an A4 book, an online portfolio and special interest group presentations, which share the researched history of the railway in Water Orton and its relationship to the village.
4. What will communities gain from your project? - Communities, including schools, will be able to:
   1. Access historical railway information, stories and photographs collated into written and online documents. These will illustrate the direct influence of the railway in developing residential and commercial life in the village and surrounding areas.
   2. See activities taking place alongside the tracks (for example in the sidings, signal box, cattle yards and workshops).
   3. Find documents on the first and second stations.
   4. Capture stories from station staff, trainspotters, train drivers and residents.
   5. Researched information will also be presented to the village and to Coleshill & District Civic Society to showcase coordinated facts and images, plus see railway station items that have been saved over the years.
5. How will you measure success? - Success can be measured through the:
   1. Production of the book within the project timeline.
   2. Uptake of the book.
   3. The number of visitors to the online resource hub.
   4. Discussion/increased awareness of the railway's history in the village

Who's involved?

Wellington Local Agenda 21 Group is an independent, not-for-profit community organisation that encourages local people to get involved in environmental issues that impact all our lives.

The project explained

This grant will finance the creation and publication of community walks from Wellington Station and raise awareness of the station as a place where writer and poet Philip Larkin first alighted on arrival in the town for a job interview which he said determined the course of his life. The project will see a free 20-page walking trail booklet created in print and online, which will trace the town's literary connections for passengers and local people to enjoy.

Q&A with Walking with Giants' Marc

1. Who is involved in your project? - The project is being managed by Wellington Local Agenda 21 Group, a not-for-profit community group active in the town since the year 2000.
2. What inspired you to get involved? - Walking With Giants is directly inspired by the immense cultural heritage of the east Shropshire market town of Wellington and its near neighbour 'The Wrekin' — perhaps the Midlands most famous natural landmark.
3. Describe the project in one sentence - The Walking With Giants heritage trail will guide visitors through 3000 years of history, featuring famous events, incredible stories and a cast of characters of international renown.
4. What will communities gain from your project? - We want our project to raise Wellington’s profile, make people proud of their town and encourage visitors to spend time here, boosting the local economy and contributing to the area’s regeneration as a cultural centre.
5. How will you measure success? - The project will lead to the publication of a walking trail booklet and brand new website showcasing Wellington’s cultural heritage to a worldwide audience. We will measure the amount of copies distributed locally and regionally and record the numbers of people visiting the site. Ultimately, though, we will judge its success by how much the town’s remarkable, but relatively little-known, story becomes more widely recognised.

Who's involved?

Station adoption group, Friends of Wellington station will be improving Wellington station through their practical and visionary plans.

The project explained

Their awarded fund will be used to improve the access to the station via the steps from the bus station and will see refillable water points installed at the platforms to link in with the Refill initiative - which is already being promoted by the town council in its attempt to reduce single-use plastic.

The vision is to use the area of land located alongside an unused platform to create a ‘Secret Garden’, a haven for wildlife and biodiversity as well as being a quiet space for passengers and town centre users to enjoy.

Colourful floral and art welcome displays will also be installed as well as a year-round growing of herbs and vegetables as part of the Incredible Edible movement.

As the title suggests, the project will also promote Wellington as a gateway for walking and cycling routes from the station by means of information display boards and leaflet dispensers, plus clear signage to walking routes on both platforms. The boards will feature the “Wellington and the Wrekin Forest Walks” produced jointly by Wellington Town Council and Wellington Walkers Are Welcome .

Lastly, a station mural is planned, that will reflect the history of Wellington, its makers, craftspeople, and the town’s major assets. It is envisaged that local students and/or local artists will be involved with the mural project.

Who's involved?

Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership (WCRP) exists to connect local communities to the stations which serve them. It is accredited by the Department of Transport meaning that its objectives align with the national policy on Community Rail. The Partnership is made up of the County Council, three Train Operating Companies, three Rail User Groups, and the West Midlands Rail Executive .

The project explained:

The awarded grant will enable WCRP to undertake a survey of the under-utilised space at Great Malvern, Worcester Foregate Street, and Worcestershire Parkway stations. The survey will highlight the work required, if any, to enable such spaces at each station to be utilised for community enterprise and support initiatives. Based upon the results, the WCRP will formulate an action plan for each station and work with community partners to bring the spaces back into productive use.

Asking Peter Chapman (WCRP Community Rail Officer)

• Why did you want to get involved in this project? - the project fits in with the objectives of the Community Rail Partnership within Worcestershire, so it was a great opportunity.
• What will this project do for the local community? – the project will open up opportunities for the three stations to be hubs for social and community enterprise.
• Who is involved in this project? – WCRP will be working with Birmingham Enterprise Community at Great Malvern; The Arches Project at Worcester Foregate Street and St Richard’s Hospice at Worcestershire Parkway.
• What are your key objectives for this project? – the key objective for this project is to make each station a focal point for community & social enterprise.
• Why would you encourage others to get involved in railway community projects? – projects like this brings each station into the heart of community life.

Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership will use part of their funding to produce a promotional campaign, encouraging return to rail and bringing passengers back to the rail network on the North Cotswold and Worcestershire lines and encouraging rail trips by featuring places of interest close to the railway network.

Q&A Cotswold and Worcester Line Guide

• Why did you want to get involved in this project? – it was the need to have an updated guide to the communities and attractions served by the 18 stations in Worcestershire.
• What will this project do for the local community? – the project aims to encourage visitors in to the areas in a sustainable way.
• Who is involved in this project? – WCRP will be working with Visit Worcestershire to complete the project.
• What are your key objectives for this project? – the main objective is to make the stations key to the transport network within Worcestershire.

Who's involved?

To pick up the community spirit in Wythall, a community partnership between residents of the area, the student leadership of Woodrush High School and Wythall Train Station adopters will be established.

The project explained

The school children will formally adopt the station and will work to enhance the customer experience for local people travelling. The plan will be to install two pieces of artwork that reflect the history of the local area, install raised flower beds with evergreen planting, prune overhanging foliage, take part in regular litter picks and help raise awareness of rail safety to the wider student population. The students will work alongside the newly formed Friends of The Shakespeare Line volunteers.

Q&A with Woodrush High School

1. Why did you want to get involved in this project? - Woodrush High School wanted to get involved in the project to develop community and cross-generational links in the local area of Wythall whilst getting pupils involved in local action/environment.
2. What will this project do for the local community? - This project will make the station a more welcoming and safer place to be. It will give young, local people a sense of ownership in their locality.
3. Who is involved in this project? - Sixth form students will be running the project.
4. What are your top objectives for this project?
   1. ​To introduce box planters on the station platform filled with seasonal planting.
   2. Erect 'Bee Posts' to attract more bees to help increase biodiversity.
   3. Install artwork that will focus on the history of the local area.
   4. Prune and cut back vegetation to improve light and vision around the station.
   5. Plant evergreen flowering shrubs at the station.
5. Why would you encourage others to get involved in railway community projects? - It is a great way to increase identity with the local area where you live and to get young people to take more pride in the locality they live in.