Our MP supports Friends of Goostrey Station …
What a lovely surprise! FoGS members were delighted when our local MP Sarah Russell came to our stall during her visit to Goostrey Rose Day. With the two latest awards from Cheshire Best Kept Stations on show and a host of photos, she soon realised what a successful group we are.
A week later, Sarah met FoGS member Louise Willis at the Palace of Westminster and they were able to talk to MD of Northern Tricia Williams. Guests at the parliamentary reception were addressed by Rail Minister Lord Hendy and by Helena Dollimore MP. Both talked about the benefits of enlisting volunteers to make railway stations part of the community. It was poignant that the event was held on 7/7, the anniversary of the London bombings which obviously had particular significance for anyone involved in the transport sector. Earlier in the day, Lord Hendy had attended a service to commemorate the victims.
The invitation was the result of FoGS success in the Community Rail Awards last March. We scored top marks in the category It’s Your Station and received a platinum award. FoGS also won a bronze award for our photo captioned Keeping Up Appearances. During the afternoon Louise was thrilled to see this photo in a rolling loop which showcased the work of Community Rail.
The reception was a celebration of the valuable work delivered all year round by Community Rail. It’s a growing movement with 75 rail partnerships and over a thousand volunteer groups. It’s uniquely placed to support a new era of rail that is focussed on passengers and local issues but it’s also aligned with social, environmental and economic objectives. Community Rail is helping to transform station buildings into community assets. It’s working to remove barriers to rail travel for marginalised groups. And it’s promoting integrated and sustainable transport.
Everyone will have an opportunity to find out more about FoGS and Community Rail during Goosfest. Drop into Goostrey Station between 10 and 1 on Saturday 27 September. Go inside the restored station building, learn about our future plans and help us to bury a time capsule. This is part of a national celebration of the 200th anniversary of the start of the modern railway.