£15,000 additional funding for community projects at Abellio Greater Anglia rail stations

Abellio Greater Anglia has announced an additional £15,000 funding package for its team of volunteer station adopters who help to care for railway stations across its network.

The additional funding will help to fund new plants and flowers, tools and materials for station gardens and individual projects that will improve the station environment at locations across East Anglia.

The ‘Adopt a Station’ scheme, which was started in 2003 enables individuals or groups to adopt their local railway station and contribute to its presentation and welfare for the benefit of the local community.

Abellio Greater Anglia now has over 183 adopters at over 90 stations across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

The voluntary scheme was originally created to improve lines of communication between the train operator and station users however, over the years it has grown to become much more, with station adopters now playing an active role in keeping stations looking good through inventive gardening projects, creative community art projects, taking part in station ‘health checks’ or being the eyes and ears of their station.

Over the years, station adopters have also played a key role in raising money for new initiatives, such as improved waiting facilities or planting beautiful station gardens.

Andrew Goodrum, Abellio Greater Anglia’s Customer Service Director, said: “Our Station Adoption scheme continues to go from strength to strength, with many stations in the region benefitting from the additional care and attention our adopters provide, working in partnership with Abellio Greater Anglia staff and community representatives. I am grateful to all our station adopters for their contribution and support in helping to put stations at the centre of their local communities and am pleased to announce this additional funding package to help them continue to do great things, making our stations even more attractive gateways to the communities they serve.”