East Suffolk Lines Volunteers Recognised at Station Adopter Awards
Train operator Greater Anglia has recognised its volunteers across the region who have been their local stations at the heart of their communities at its annual Station Adopter Awards event in Ipswich.
Adopters along the East Suffolk Lines scooped awards for Community Involvement, joint award for Best Small Station, Most Improved Station and Best Medium Station.
Volunteers at Westerfield station won the ‘Community Involvement’ Award for their work to bring the station’s extensive wildlife garden to the heart of the community by holding a ‘Bee Awareness’ fete there in the summer, holding a bee-themed writing competition for local schools, involving the local Cubs group in creating a herb garden at the station for the whole community to use, and taking part in the area’s ‘Inspiring Angels Ipswich’ Christmas event by hanging decorated baubles along the platforms.
Brampton along with Sheringham station adopters jointly received the Best Small Station Award. Brampton volunteers, Kim and Glyn Buck were recognised for creating beautiful floral displays all year round and Sheila McGinley at Sheringham for the huge difference she has made planting many flower tubs along the platform and her work to development a new station garden.
Trimley station was Highly Commended in the ‘Most Improved Station’ category for the efforts of volunteer, Tom Hatrick, to create stunning planters on the platforms, maintaining a wildlife area and for planting shrubs to create an attractive backdrop to the station.
Beccles station’s adopter team was Highly Commended in the ‘Best Medium Station’ category for their hard work that keeps the station looking stunning all year round.
Greater Anglia’s Station Adoption initiative sees people getting involved with their local rail station to help bring about improvements for their communities.
Alan Neville, Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Engagement Manager, said: “Our station adopters are real heroes who achieve amazing things to benefit their communities and make them better places to live with their enthusiasm to bring rural stations to life and restore their links to the communities they serve.
“The adopters know their stations and the needs of their community well and we are happy to support their aims through small grants and facilitating improvements.
“I am delighted that we can also recognise and thank them through the Adopter Awards – we’ve seen some fantastic and innovative projects this year and I would like to thank them all for their continued hard work.”