Station Adopter Works with Greater Anglia to get Darsham Station Blooming

Darsham station looks blooming lovely thanks to a partnership between the community and train operator Greater Anglia.

The station, on the Ipswich – Lowestoft line, has received a makeover thanks to station adopter, Annette Day, who has been working with train operator Greater Anglia to brighten up the station with flowers.

The platform now boasts attractive tubs and window boxes planted with summer plants and flowers kindly provided by Darsham Nurseries. The new wooden window boxes were built by members of Woodcraft Folk who help run the Darsham Country Centre which is in the old station house.

Greater Anglia Media Officer, Kerri Worrall, said, “We are very pleased with the work that has been carried out at Darsham station. Annette and members of the local community have worked very hard and the station looks lovely as a result. We would like to thank Annette for her continued support and enthusiasm for the Adopt A Station initiative.”

Annette is also the warden of the Darsham Country Centre in the old station house, which is managed in conjunction with Woodcraft Folk charity to provide low cost residential accommodation for voluntary and charitable groups, family, friends and clubs.

The station house was turned into residential accommodation in 1979 and managed by a charity in Hackney to provide a country retreat for inner city children, giving them access by train from London to the beautiful Suffolk countryside and coast. This ethos is continued by the Darsham Country Centre who hire the centre on a not-for-profit basis to groups such as the children’s educational charity Woodcraft Folk, the Boys Brigade, Scouts, Guides and other groups.

The Adopt-A-Station initiative, now in its ninth year, has resulted in over 100 volunteers around the network adopting their local stations and is aimed at improving lines of communication between the train operator and railway station users, promoting and encouraging feedback about the station buildings and facilities to help ensure that they meet the high standards expected by those who use them.