Staff from the train operator Greater Anglia’s finance team recently took a brief departure from their normal duties by swapping their ledgers for garden trowels and forks and getting stuck into some gardening on the Sunshine Coast Line between Colchester and Clacton.

The Colchester-based finance team decided to give a little extra attention to a few stations on the Clacton branch, as part of a commitment to support the work undertaken by the local Greater Anglia station teams and the station adopters. 

More than 30 people from the department, split into three teams, visiting Great Bentley, Arlesford and Thorpe-le-Soken stations in Essex. The teams worked hard to replant existing containers and hanging baskets, with seasonal bedding plants and dig over flowerbeds. At Thorpe, new raised beds and planters were created as a focal point for the station. The teams even managed to find the time to plant some additional containers at Clacton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze stations too.

At the end of the day, all of the stations had benefited from the work, leaving them brighter and more colourful, for the enjoyment of customers and staff alike and making the Sunshine Coast line just a little bit sunnier.

A ‘best station trophy’ was awarded to the team who had made the most significant contribution, which was judged to be at Thorpe-le-Soken station, where not only had the team responsible managed to treble their £100 budget with donations from Datasys and The Octagon, but they have made a lasting impression at this Essex station.

Adam Golton, Greater Anglia’s Finance Director said: “I’d like to say thank you to all of those who took part in this exercise, their efforts were very much appreciated. At the end of the day the work they’ve done has supported the local station teams and made a difference to several of our stations on the Sunshine Coast line too.”