Welcome our most recent station adopters, Friends of Wylde Green station!
Our Adopt a Station scheme has seen communities come together and connect with their local railway by volunteering at their local station. One of our most recently formed groups is the Friends of Wylde Green Station, they’ve formulated a plan to help enhance the place into a station local passengers can feel proud of.
We caught up with lead adopter Nikki Wright who told us a little more about the volunteers and how they came to form their community group.
Who are the members of the adoption group?
Our Wylde Green Station Adopters group consists of:
- Lead adopter - Nikki Wright
- Secretary - Dawn Whitfield
- Treasurer - Sandra Dworkin
- Social Media (Instagram and Twitter) - Meredith Wright
- Social Media (Facebook) - Isobel Brown
- Adopter and signatory - Robin Valk
What inspired you to get involved and help the station?
Dawn and I were on patrol in a volunteering capacity for Street Watch (a neighbourhood collaboration with West Midlands Police ) and attempted to report the presence of graffiti on the train station bridge. We logged it with the “fix my street" App but were redirected to Network Rai l website. This attracted attention to a page regarding adopting a local station. On further discussion we soon realised that by doing this we could influence the nature of the station, making it a welcoming and eco-friendly site within our neighbourhood.
We were in COVID-19 times and the neighbourhood felt sad and neglected, so we decided we could potentially make a difference. Fundamentally we wanted to make it a safe environment for our teenage daughters, allowing them to travel independently and safely on public rail transport to and from Birmingham. Initially, it started with me and Dawn involving our daughters, but swiftly our team grew to a total of 13 adoptees and numerous volunteers!
What are your top objectives for the group?
- To help make Wylde Green Station a loved and respected community asset by encouraging community involvement and ownership.
- To make it a welcoming and safe place whilst using it to promote the local area.
- To develop the Stations 'Green Corridor' to help support the local wildlife and biodiversity.
What is your favourite thing about the station at the moment?
We love the inclusiveness that adoption has given to the neighbourhood. We have met residents and introduced them to each other. We have collaborated with different organisations to put our station at the heart of the area. It feels loved.
Why would you encourage others who may be unsure, to get involved and help their local station?
I have a whole list of words of encouragement:
- It brings communities together.
- You can make a difference!
- It's easy to do and support is always there.
- It can be a small or large adoption, so it is always manageable.
- It's lovely to get positive feedback from the community.
- It enables lots of local organisations and individuals to come together to showcase their speciality and creativeness.
Overall, it puts a smile on people’s faces.
If you would like to get involved at your local railway station, why not consider volunteering at a station , just like Nikki? If you are interested in joining the Friends of Wylde Green Station, you can find out more by visiting their Facebook .