Station Adopters Recognised at Awards Event

Volunteer station adopters along the East Suffolk Lines have been recognised for transforming their local stations at a recent awards ceremony in Ipswich.

Greater Anglia’s Station Adoption initiative sees local people across the network get involved with their local stations to come up with ideas and projects that benefit their communities. Several hundred volunteers take part and every year the best of the best receive an award for their efforts.

The adopter team at Lowestoft helped adorn the station with 48 hanging baskets and contributed over a thousand volunteer hours to a major regeneration project.

Tim Miller and Jacqui Dale won ‘Best Staffed Station’ at Greater Anglia’s Station Adoption Awards. In addition to the 48 hanging baskets they planted two rowing boats with flowers which they’ve cared for throughout the year. The regeneration project which included the restoration and conversion of the former station Parcels Office into a new public exhibition space.

Westerfield was named the ‘Most Improved Station’ thanks to the work of its new adopter, Sandy Burn, who has transformed the station with tubs of flowers and the installation of a new perennial garden along the bank next to the platform.

Station adopters at Reedham, Somerleyton, Cantley, March, Whittlesea, Wrabness and Braintree also received awards.

Alan Neville, Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Engagement Manager, said: “Our station adopters are real community heroes who give so much time and 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.”