Our Community Rail Officer, Eve Sherratt, has had a busy summer connecting with exciting people and projects around our network. Read on to find out more, and discover ways to get involved.
Swansea Station’s planters are on the move!
Our planters and benches outside Swansea Train station are currently on a break due to some unfortunate antisocial behaviour. We’ve given them a temporary home on the station platforms so they can recuperate and be restocked. On July 10, I met with horticultural designer Owen Hayman to discuss the types of native plants and succulents in the planters—all of which have been chosen to support biodiversity in the area.
We chatted about how to make the most of the plants’ different flowering seasons and agreed on a few additions to get the planters back to their best. In the next few weeks, we’ll decide where they’ll be happiest, and how to make sure the arrival to the train station is as vibrant and welcoming as possible.
On August 12 and 13, Geraint from Transport for Wales and Mark, our station adopter, did a great job of prepping then planting and arranging the black planters on Platform 1, so things are already on track!
Could you help to keep Swansea Station looking lovely?
We’re looking for groups who are interested in helping care for the station planters by becoming volunteers with Community Rail and friends of the station. Please get in touch if that sounds like you!
An inspirational day in Carmarthenshire
The inaugural It’s Your Carmarthenshire conference and exhibition was held on July 11 at Parc Y Scarlets by 4theRegion, who work to create positive change in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. The event brought together a diverse mix of local people and organisations to showcase, connect and discuss opportunities in Carmarthenshire. We went along to spread the word about Community Rail and South West Wales Connected, and we had a brilliant time. We met lots of amazing people and had some great conversations, resulting in plenty of collaboration ideas for the future.
A workshop for community groups
On July 17, we attended a Community Rail online workshop on how community groups and non-profits can access vital sources of funding. We love supporting the many incredible groups that are busy making South West Wales a better place to live, work, and travel. Stay tuned for opportunities to grow and develop your project.
Keeping our network safe – get your free app today!
PACT (Police and Communities Together) meetings are an important way for the Police to connect with the communities they serve. I always attend our local PACT meetings to discuss any issues or upcoming events at the station and across the region. In the August 20 meeting, the BTP Guardian railway app was discussed, and I’m eager to spread the word about it. This brilliant free app from the British Transport Police enables you to report crimes or concerns on the rail network, share your journeys with trusted contacts, and get access to news, guides, or support. Find out more and download the app here.
Sharing the Joy of the Journey
Our Joy of the Journey project provides free days out by rail for local community groups, helping to tackle loneliness and build confidence around using the railway. On July 19, I went to Plantasia, Swansea’ wonderful tropical Zoo, to see how we can collaborate for some of our Joy of the Journey trips and workshops. My visit included a tour of their exciting new dinosaur project, and I left very excited about future collaboration possibilities. Plantasia is definitely worth a visit – their offerings include escape room experiences and over 50s visits; there is so much for everyone.
Helping kids enjoy our network
On August 2, I met with talented illustrator Arry Cain to discuss how she can help kids enjoy our rail network through the antics of our lovable mascot Selwyn the Seagull. Selwyn already helps to promote our station walks, but Arry is going to help us make more of this entertaining character with fun activities, rail safety advice and more. If you’d like to help your children get more out of our rail network, keep an eye on our website for more updates!
A memorable visit from GWR
On August 7, we had a lovely visit from GWR, who are very generously funding some of our new projects. We spent the day visiting community projects around Swansea, including Sadie’s Butterflies LGBTQ+ coffee morning at Coast Café in Swansea Marina, where we chatted with the members and with local PCSO Liz about a range of topics, including our recent Joy of the Journey trip.
We then headed to the Dylan Thomas Centre to see the Dylan Thomas exhibition and to meet Jo Furber, who is Swansea Council’s Literature Officer, for a chat about our Train of Thought poetry project and the poetry workshops we facilitated at the centre.
After that, we visited the Tram Shed, where we saw the beautiful old tram that’s on display there and discussed our railway heritage project and other upcoming events. Next, we visited the Egyptian mummy and other fascinating artefacts at Swansea Museum before heading over to the National Waterfront Museum, where National Play Day was in full swing.
After a quick coffee, we visited to the Ageing Well Choir rehearsal at Swansea Arena. The choir are such a fun and engaging group, and there was plenty of laughter and singing. After that, we headed to Joe’s Ice Cream Parlour in Mumbles, and had a little stroll to see Oystermouth Castle.
We had lots laughs on the bus back from Mumbles, including an impromptu Welsh lesson and a discussion about the flag of St David. It was a wonderful day, and although the weather wasn’t great, the company certainly made up for it. It was brilliant to showcase some of the things that make Swansea so special, and to show GWR the difference they are making with their funding.
A visit to Gower Heritage Centre
On August 13 I popped down to one of the region’s most unique and memorable attractions: the Gower Heritage Centre, which features in our South West Wales Without a Car guide. It was great to see their fascinating exhibits and the array of fun activities they have to offer. It’s an amazing place to visit in any weather: even when the rain is pouring, as it was on the day of my visit, there is plenty to do inside – although the ducks and new ducklings in the stream outside didn’t seem to mind the rain at all!
An exciting networking event and consultation opportunity from PLANED
On August 14 I had a great call with Lucy from PLANED, who work to support projects and ideas that create long-term environmental, social and economic benefits for Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire.
PLANED is hosting an event on Friday November 15, from 1-4 pm, at Towy Church in St Catherine’s Walk, Carmarthen, to share information on the range of services and support that are available in Carmarthenshire.
The event will include networking meeting and a transport consultation with Age Cymru Dyfed and Dolen Teifi, to discover the barriers to transport, and where support services are needed. PLANED are exploring the possibility of a Motability grant to help people make the journeys they need to, and would like input from the third sector, the public, and professionals, before opening the meeting for the public to come in and meet service providers.
Refreshments will be available at the meeting. If you would like a stand/table, would just like to attend, or would like to deliver a taster session when the public come in, please email: Celt Scourfield celt.scourfield@planed.org.uk
Further inspirational meetings
The last couple of weeks in August brought lots of inspiring meetings with people from around the region, as well as from the wider Community Rail network. These included a meeting on August 16 with Heather from Severnside CRP to discuss exciting new developments in our joint Train of Thought poetry project, including a possible audio version and promotional material. More updates to follow…
On August 21, I had a lovely morning at Coast Cafe with Sadie’s Butterflies to discuss their outstanding work supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Read all about it in our special blog post, coming soon!
On August 22 I met with Helen from a women’s and girls’ support group in Haverfordwest to discuss a Joy of the Journey trip to Swansea, and a trip that will bring a school in Haverfordwest to visit Swansea in the coming weeks. It’s always lovely to get more of these trips booked in and to help boost enjoyment of our rail network.
In other news…
Could you help the Welsh Blood Service?
The Welsh Blood Service has asked us to spread the word about their donation stations, which can be found across the region over the coming months. This is a critical period for the service, with stocks at an all-time low. If you’d like to find out more about donating blood in your local area, follow this link.
Concerned about rail safety?
I recently caught up with a member of the British Transport Police at Swansea Station to discuss rail safety initiatives and travel support. If you have any concerns about rail travel and security, please follow this link.