Published on: Friday, 7 September 2012
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Greater Anglia’s Dovercourt station garden has been transformed.
The Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership successfully bid for £1000 of funding from the Association of Community Rail Partnerships and have match funded it with a £1000 of their own funds.
Cheryl Thompson, the station adopter, came forward with a striking garden design, following an appeal in the local press. Then earlier in the year, Sergeant Gavin White led a team from the local barracks who helped prepare the garden area, by clearing it of weeds and digging it over.
Work could then begin to bring Cheryl’s design into fruition.
Yesterday, a working party organised by train operator Greater Anglia, including volunteers from contractors Spence and Community Rail Officer Lucy Ainger got stuck in to transform the garden into the new design.
Lucy Ainger of the Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership said: “We were very pleased to receive a grant from the Association of Community Rail Partnerships to help create a new garden at Dovercourt station and we were delighted when Cheryl came forward with her inspirational design. I’d also like to thank Greater Anglia for organising a working party which has been a great help in moving the project forward.”
The new garden includes swathes of beautiful planting incorporating soft mauves, pinks and silvery foliage, using shrubs and herbaceous perennials such as Verbena, Geraniums, Anemones, Lavender, Gaura, Sedums and Hebes. Stunning specimen trees including Liquidambar mark the boundary of the new garden.
Simone Bailey Greater Anglia’s Asset Management Director said: “We are very excited about this project and were pleased to provide a team to assist in bringing Cheryl’s design to life. I’d like to thank everyone who helped on the day.”