We were thrilled to learn this week that we have been shortlisted for a silver award by the Association of Community Rail Partnerships, in the category It’s Your Station. This comes as All Aboarders is barely 18 months old.
Now in their 15th year, Community Rail Awards celebrate the important and often unsung work carried out by community rail volunteers, partnerships, station friends and community groups, in bringing local people together, running community engagement and rail accessibility initiatives, and helping communities get the most from their local railway lines and stations.
We heard the welcome news just a week after a very successful gardening event at Welwyn Garden City station held with rail company GTR Great Northern. We had a fantastic morning working on the station, building on what we have already done. We are grateful to GTR who provided six new flower troughs with plants to go in them. The existing six troughs were donated by local organisations Smart10 and Digswell Community & Gardening Project. We were all very pleased with our efforts on the day and we had fun into the bargain! The station platforms are gradually being restored to their former glory.
We joined forces with staff from GTR Great Northern and representatives of sponsors, donors and partners on Wednesday 31 July for a gardening event. We planted up no less than six big planters, supplied by GTR. We now have 12 planters! Work continued refreshing the existing flower beds and troughs.
About 30 people attended, including guests who represented Rotary Club of Welwyn Garden City, Garden on a Roll, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, and private donors. It was a productive morning with much gardening and painting activity, fuelled by refreshments provided by Marchio’s café on Platform 2.
We had a fantastic morning working on the station, building on what we have already done. We are grateful to GTR who organised the event and provided the six new flower troughs with compost and plants to go in them. The existing six troughs were donated by local organisations Smart10 and Digswell Community & Gardening Project. We were all very pleased with our efforts on the day and we had fun into the bargain! The station platforms are gradually being restored to their former glory.
One of our private donors said:
“The station itself is really looking cared for, and as the work continues, it will be a special feature for the WGC Centenary. Keep up the good work, All Aboarders, it is a pleasure to see”.
WGC Station Manager Will Buck was also enthusiastic:
“It was fantastic to see GTR, All Aboarders and the community come together to install new planters and spruce up Welwyn Garden City Station. We at GTR are excited to continue to grow and nurture the relationship between ourselves and the community.”
All Aboarders 