We were absolutely thrilled to receive an award at the prestigious National Rail Awards held in the Grosvenor House Hotel, London on 17 September. Attended by over 1000 people, this is an extremely prestigious event which is known as the Railway Oscars.
Our entry into the category "Railway 200 Event of the Year" featured the project "A Song for Edmondson" which saw singer songwriters Gareth and Bronwen Davies Jones work with Hallbankgate Village School, Lanercost CoE Primary School and Brampton's William Howard School. The schools researched various aspects of railway heritage associated with Brampton Railway Station; the research gave the children a greater understanding of their local railway station and working with Gareth and Bronwen they wrote lyrics for new songs using their new found knowledge. This has stimulated an interest history, provided an introduction to rail travel in an area where travelling on the train is not normally considered, helped to develop new skills and to learn about career opportunities both within and outside the rail industry.
TV presenter, Julia Bradbury, was host for the evening and she said “This entrant stood out to our judges for their originality and community focused approach. Its creativity and ability to reach audiences who might not traditionally engage with the rail industry contributed to a more inclusive celebration of the railways legacy.”
TVCRP’s Anne Ridley, who attended the event, said “what an amazing project, what an achievement, what a legacy for everyone involved. A huge thank you to Gareth and Bronwen and everyone at Hallbankgate, Lanercost and William Howard schools for their enthusiasm and effort in helping us to put a small rural station in Cumbria and community rail onto a national stage”.
Alex Bray, CrossCountry Trains commented “This one really is something special. It will go down as one of the greatest achievements of any project I’ve had the privilege of supporting. To see it go from those early workshops with the young people to standing on the stage and taking home the biggest award of the night is something I’ll never forget”.
This is the first time that TVCRP has submitted an entry into the National Rail Awards. Whilst we are overjoyed at receiving the Award, we are pleased that it has helped to showcase the benefits which community rail brings to the rail industry and to local communities.
