Volunteers' Week: London Northwestern Railway pays tribute as record numbers step forward

Railway chiefs have paid tribute to the spirit of the community after record numbers of people stepped forward to care for their local stations.

London Northwestern Railway (LNR) estimates volunteers have already donated over 1,000 hours of time so far this year to help spruce up stations across the network.

To mark Volunteers’ Week, LNR is now calling on even more people to get involved with their local station, with projects ranging from art installations to planting flowers.

Vicky Cropper-Clarke, LNR head of stakeholder and community, said: “There is nothing more fulfilling than helping other people and your community. Volunteering provides resilience and an opportunity to take part in joint activities with others, boosting physical and mental health in the process.

“We are incredibly grateful to our fantastic army of volunteers which has grown significantly during the past 12 months as people refocus on their local communities.”

Among the station projects which have been completed this week was a major planting scheme at stations along the Abbey Line in Hertfordshire. The project, funded by a grant from LNR’s “Your Community, Your Fund” scheme, saw the installation of new planters at five of the seven stations on the Abbey Line, which have already made a real difference on the route.

The Abbey Line Community Rail Partnership teamed up with volunteers from Communities First, Park Street Residents Association, Hertfordshire County Council, Network Rail and LNR colleagues to complete the work. Also taking part were learners from Building Better Opportunities and Mencap Watford following their recent completion of LNR’s “Travelling With Confidence” programme.

Steve Pickering, from Building Better Opportunities, said: “The Travel with Confidence programme supplemented by volunteering experiences on the Abbey Line has had a very positive impact on our participants. We are very grateful to LNR for their open-minded approach, supporting people with learning disabilities to engage in community projects and enhance their employability."

Other volunteer-led projects recently completed on the LNR network include a new planter at Tamworth to mark Mental Health Awareness week and the Symbol Spot activity pack for families to take part in on the Marston Vale Line.

For more information on getting involved at your local station, visit www.lnr.uk/about-us/community-rail or email vicky.cropper-clarke@wmtrians.co.uk