Published on: Wednesday, 11 October 2023
Last updated: Wednesday, 11 October 2023
Volunteers have spent a day transforming overgrown areas at Rochford rail station.
Rail industry staff from the Essex & South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership and the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) teamed up to help Rochford’s team of station adopters – volunteers from the local community – to create a new cottage garden area and install a bug hotel, which was funded by Community Rail Network.
They spent the day digging, weeding, and planting, using ‘seed bombs’ to create a wildflower area that will support pollinators and other wildlife.
The event was organised as a team-building day that would also have a positive impact on the community.
Daniel Mann, director of industry operations at Rail Delivery Group, said:
“I’m delighted to see the results of our staff working alongside other volunteers on such a great project. Transforming neglected spaces into vibrant, welcoming places for all, inspires and connects local communities and we are glad to have been a part of that approach at Rochford.”
Catherine Gaywood, Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership Officer, said,
“We were delighted when the Rail Delivery Group said they were looking for a beneficial project for a team building day as there are always plenty of opportunities on our lines in Essex.
“I am really pleased with the results of everyone’s hard work and look forward to seeing the station filled with flowers in the spring, with all the positive benefits that will bring for wildlife and passengers alike.”
Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Engagement Manager, Alan Neville, said,
“We are very grateful to our colleagues at the RDG and the Community Rail Partnership for this collaborative project which will help to make Rochford station even more attractive to visitors and help improve biodiversity locally.”
Paul Webster, Community Rail Network’s Support and development manager, said,
"Making stations part of their local community is one of the aims of community rail, so we are really pleased to have been able to support Essex & South Suffolk CRP with a funding contribution for this project. The commitment of the CRP shows how relationships between the local community, Greater Anglia and the wider rail industry have worked together to turn this disused piece of land into a vibrant and colourful space which will greet passengers now and into next Spring with a bright floral display as they pass through the station.”