Station adoption is when a group of volunteers, or an existing community group or organisation, ‘adopts’ a station, getting local people involved in the station and railway through volunteering.
GWR currently works with 287 volunteers across 94 stations on our network.
Station adoption groups make a valuable contribution, helping communities get the most from their stations, turning stations and their surroundings into welcoming gateways and hubs while also having health and wellbeing benefits.
Station adoption activities vary, but they often include:
- community gardening, food growing and biodiversity projects on station land
- installing heritage boards or community artwork to help people learn about and take pride in their area
- basic upkeep and litter-picking to create a welcoming and safe environment
- working with the rail industry towards improvements, such as better shelters, signage, or pedestrian and cyclist access
- running events, workshops, or other activities to promote sustainable travel, bring people together
- celebrating the local community.
GWR has a station adoption fund, which registered station adoption groups can apply for. This fund is instrumental in fostering community engagement and enhancing local railway stations and their surroundings.
Recent funding has supported items such as notice boards, gardening tools, bulbs, plants, and compost bins, among others. The fund has backed various projects including creative literacy workshops, heritage initiatives, and biodiversity enhancement efforts at select stations.
The fund has also collaborated with organisations such as Samaritans and Crimestoppers to promote wellbeing and create safe spaces at stations. GWR also partner with the Bee Friendly Trust to improve biodiversity, further enhancing the environmental impact of station adoption initiatives.
GWR run a volunteer recognition scheme and produce an annual volunteer newsletter connecting station adoption groups and station volunteers across the GWR network.
If you’d like to find out more about becoming a station volunteer, please get in touch on community.rail@gwr.com.