Cheshire Best Kept Stations are pleased to announce the launch of our 2025 Awards.
Nominations are invited for the following 2025 Nominated Categories by Friday 3rd October 2025 …..
Please note, you do not have to nominate your station in our regular station award categories.
Our team of judges will be out judging Cheshire’s Best Kept Stations for these awards between 9th June and 9th August 2025.
Community Engagement Award
How are you engaging with your members, the travelling public, the local community (including other local community groups of all types including local schools)?
How do you publicise what you do? How do you encourage others to get involved with the station? Does what you do encourage more people to take an interest in the station as well as rail travel generally? How does what you do promote mental wellbeing?
What use do you make of emails, phone calls, websites, blogs, face to face meetings and activities, zoom meetings etc? What sort of activities do you engage in? Do you get involved/work with other groups locally away from your station? How do you hope to expand your community engagement in the future?
This nomination covers anything that you have undertaken between 1st September 2024 and 30th September 2025 inclusive as well as your plans for the future as mentioned above.
Art Projects Award
Tell us about any art project(s) that you have delivered in the last year
How was the project chosen and what consultation within the community took place? Who was involved in the delivery of the project and how was the project funded? What was the impact of the art-work and how has it improved the station?
Art projects are not simply confined to pictures but can include anything of an artistic nature as well as the written word (such as sculptures, carvings, poetry displays, posters promoting the station or community, inclusivity, booklets etc.).
This nomination includes anything that you have undertaken between 1st September 2024 and 30th September 2025
Sustainability Award
This is a wide-ranging category that covers anything which improves or promotes any type of sustainability at the station. What are you doing to improve the sustainability of your station activities? How are you resourcing your work? How does your work benefit all types of wildlife in and around the station? Do you have managed wild flower areas? Possible features could include rainwater harvesting, solar power, composting, use of recycled materials, planting to encourage pollinators, choice of drought resistant and low maintenance plants, the provision of bird and bat boxes, bug hotels, research into wildlife etc. plus working with specialist and other groups that promote sustainability.
Have you undertaken projects and activities to promote walking and cycling to and from the station or in and around your station? Do you provide walks booklets/leaflets? Do you offer any practical help to others? Have you organised and led walks that involve the use of rail (or other forms of public transport) in part?
This nomination is for any activities undertaken between 1st September 2024 and 30th September 2025.
Railway 200 Award
This year we are celebrating 200 years of modern railways in the world with the coming of the Stockton & Darlington railway. Celebrations are planned across the country with some national events taking place and a special website, www.railway200.co.uk giving news, information and materials to plan an event,
What are you doing to celebrate Railway200? It could be a community event, a commemorative historical display at your station, or simply branding an existing feature to let passengers know. This is a great opportunity to draw attention to the railway and the benefits of travelling by train.
This nomination is for any activities taking place between 1st January and 30th September 2025
Nominations in all of the above categories should consist of up to two sides of A4 plus up to six images, videos, links to YouTube etc or other documents (eg press cuttings) which should be submitted as separate files.
Nominations should be submitted no later than 17.00 on Friday 3rd October 2025 by email to nominations@bestkeptstations.org.uk. Any queries how to compile a nomination may also be made to this email address
Nominations can be submitted by Friends Groups, other Community Groups, Community Rail Partnerships, Train Operating Companies, Local Authorities (including Town and Parish councils) or any other interested stakeholder.
Click here for details of our 2025 Photographic Competition which we are partnering with Cheshire Life magazine.