What we do

Until 2017, the platforms at Avonmouth station presented a dismal impression for those either alighting from Severn Beach bound trains or waiting for trains to Bristol.  Industrial dereliction dominated the view, and the anti-social use the derelict land at the rear of the platform caused anxiety to waiting passengers and was a deterrent to using the station.  As the railhead for the Avonmouth-Severn Beach Enterprise Area, the station previously gave a very unfavourable impression to workers, visitors and potential developers.

Community consultation provided the Partnership with a clear steer of what local people wanted from their station, and proposals put together to achieve a much more welcoming, attractive and safer station which would encourage more passengers.

The improvements have included a new shelter (located to provide cover for arriving passengers waiting for the level crossing barriers to be raised), seating, lighting, planters and screen fencing. They have been funded and supported by Bristol City Council, the Association of Community Rail Partnerships, Severnside Community Rail Partnership. Great Western Railway and Network Rail, with considerable assistance from the volunteer Champions of Avonmouth Station, Incredible Edible Bristol and Probation Service Community Payback.  The is now covered by a comprehensive CCTV system and new secure cycle parking facilities are to be installed during the summer of 2022.

Hidden away behind the fence on Platform 1 is the  ‘Secret Garden’ food growing scheme.  Developed by the team at Incredible Bristol the garden produces food for the weekly soup and lunch  clubs  nearby Avonmouth Community Centre.  The garden is open each week for ‘Wellbeing Wednesday’ sessions.  Pop your head round the gate to find it is possible to grow apricots in Avonmouth! See https://youtu.be/AplCnGo9C4M

Beneath the canopy on Platform 2 are two spectacular pieces of community art.  The ‘City to Seaside’ photographs were taken by school children as part of scheme funded by the Arts Council England .  A second mural by Rob and Sophie Weaver pays homage to the rare birds seen along the Severn Estuary was created under funding from ‘A Forgotten Landscape’ Heritage Lottery Funding.

The Severnside Community Rail Partnership is proud to support station adoption groups across the region who form part of a family of over 1,000 groups nationwide caring for their stations on a voluntary basis.  Adopters ensure their stations provide an attractive, fit for purpose gateway to their local communities.  This is typically achieved though planting and art schemes, linking with wider community events, and by volunteers becoming the ‘eyes and ears’ of their local station.

One of the more recently formed station adoption groups is the Friends of Parson Street Station, a dedicated team of volunteers living close to the station, and who are collectively involved with a number of local community initiatives.  In just a short period of time the group has made great strides. Under a grant from the GWR Customer and Communities Improvement Fund. new planters have been installed at street level and these along with existing platform level planters are tended throughout the seasons to providing a combination of cheerful flowers and some edible produce.  An impressive heritage board has been unveiled, station lighting improved and new signage installed directing passengers to the nearby Ashton Gate stadium.

At the beginning of 2020 the Friends of Parson Street station started working with Monica Wills House, a local residential care home, and Parson Street Primary School on the ‘Secret Gardens’ intergenerational project.  Although the project plan was stalled when lockdown started, they kept a new version going by working individually and from a distance with the residential home, and by finding local foster families for the majority of the plants. This enabled some community grown plants to reach the platform planters.  Sadly, events of 2020 meant they could not bring the generations together as intended, nor involve the community in the planting exercise, however it is hoped this can become a reality in the future.

There was cause for celebration when the efforts of the group were rewarded by reaching the shortlist for three categories of the 2020 Community Rail Awards;  the Secret Gardens project in the small projects category, the heritage plaque in the Smaller and Renewable Art Schemes category and achieving Bronze level in the ‘It’s Your Station Award’.

The group shares the aspiration of local rail stakeholders wishing to see the station become fully accessible to all passengers, and would- be consultees in a feasibility study the West of England Combined Authority is currently undertaking into step free access to stations across their area.

In 2006,  Severnside Community Rail Partnership was approached by the Probation Service to establish whether offenders handed a community sentence by the courts might be able to assist with projects to improve and enhance local railway stations.  An innovative partnership between the two organisations was forged, and fifteen years later local stations, and the communities they serve, continue to benefit from the scheme.

Around 1400 hours of are spent at stations each year, making the scheme of great value to both the rail industry and the communities each station serves.  That is a staggering 21,000 hours of unpaid work spent on projects to enhance local stations.

Under a community sentence, offenders of certain crimes  undertake between 40 and 300 hours of Community Payback. This activity is unpaid and should be demanding and designed to give something to local communities, providing  offenders with an opportunity to repay the community for the wrong they have done.   Offenders assigned to station projects are classified as being low risk to the public.

During the early days of the Partnership, many local stations were in a poor condition; supervised groups of around ten offenders were deployed on an ad-hoc basis to clear overgrown vegetation and construct planters from old railway sleepers. The planters were then handed over to be tended by local volunteers and station adoption groups.

Once stations became in a much better condition, and required less heavy vegetation clearance, more emphasis was placed on environmental enhancement and on improving and ensuring safe working practices.   Severnside Community Rail Partnership and local station management teams now agree programme of activity for up to four offenders to visit local stations and assist with enhancing the environment.  Their tasks include implementing biodiversity measure such as ground preparation, sustainable planting, weeding and watering planters.  Community Payback groups have recently assisted with the construction of planters and garden furniture, painting railings and the removal of graffiti.

Smaller group numbers allow greater opportunities for offenders to learn new skills during their placement, supporting their personal development and increasing opportunities for future employment.

On completion of a placement at the Avonmouth station ‘Secret Garden’, one service user commented ‘This project has given me a connection to the community and a space that I am proud to be a part of.’

The  participants on the Unpaid Work teams have been sentenced in Court to a number of hours that must be worked for the benefit of local communities.  Severnside Community Rail has provided opportunities for people on probation to complete a variety of tasks, offering the possibility to learn new skills that will improve chances of employment and reduce re-offending.

The initial concept of On Train Events came about slightly by chance.

The Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research at the University of Bristol adopted Fun Palaces – an international campaign for culture at the heart of every community, –for it’s community engagement for 2017,  employing a Fun Palaces Ambassador to initiate health inspired events across the weekend of 6^th & 7^th October in collaboration with Bristol Green Capital Partnership’s Healthy City Week, and community partners.  During Fun Palaces weekend, an on-train arts workshop was hosted on the train between Bristol Temple Meads and Avonmouth station.  The event workshop was designed to raise awareness of 1 in 4 people experiencing mental health challenges.   It was a great success, drawing a diverse mix of participants, some travelling specifically for the event, others being passengers who became involved during their journey.  Those taking part practiced creative skills and engaged in stimulating discussion.  Feedback was very positive and the message received by Severnside CRP was unanimously “we want more events like this on the train!” See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORp846ckqDQ&t=10s

Following Fun Palaces, a number of events promoting local community causes and brining communities to the rail service who would not have otherwise tried the train.  These have included:

A Human Library – In line with the international scheme designed to challenge prejudice against social contact among diverse groups, local volunteers became human books, lending themselves out to passengers for conversations about their chosen subject during the journey.  Undoubtedly the major draw from the eclectic catalogue were popular Bristolian stars of Channel 4 Goggelbox Mary and Marina who raised many a smile sharing their knowledge of local history with characteristic cheek;  Darren Jones MP and Robot Engineer Steve Bullcok were also in high demand.

Crimestoppers CommuniTea – The first of many CommuniTea events taking place across the country between May and July 2018 to mark the charity’s 30^th anniversary; the first time a cl166 turbo serving the Severn Beach line was all dressed up for afternoon tea.

Singing for the Brain on the Train – As part of Dementia Action Week 2018 an extra special Singing for the Brain session on the Severn Beach Branch line. The event attracted more than 40 people affected by dementia. Many hadn’t travelled by train for years and they’d certainly never sung on the train.

Games on the Train – Conversation is central to on train events.  It is widely recognised people find one-to-one conversations far easier when travelling, be it on foot or in a vehicle.  It is noticeable how participants appreciate the opportunity to come on board and have someone to talk to for the duration their short journey and by doing so reduce any feelings of isolation. Games on the train is now a regular feature where elderly and isolated participants come on board to play bingo and enjoy tea and chat.  See https://youtu.be/pzwv5HUgrbo

Drag Queen Bingo – A more flamboyant version of Games on the Train was held to celebrate Bristol Pride in 2019 featuring popular local drag queens Dominque Fleek and Carmen Monoxide.  See https://youtu.be/Wf4FLVqWPXQ

Suffrage Celebrations – A lantern making workshop run by Bristol Women’s as part of a series of events to mark the struggle of Bristol suffragettes.  Lanterns created on the train were carried on a lantern parade through the city centre to celebrate 100 years since the first women were allowed to vote in the UK.

The Partnership is keen to support local, independent business based on and around our stations.  One initiative to link with Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) to sponsor the display of posters at stations advertising local shops and places to eat and drink.

The poster below was created to in collaboration with Bedminster BID is proudly displayed in an illuminated poster case at Bedminster station, directing passengers to the array of independent shops, cafes and restaurants in the surrounding streets.

Days Out By Train follows a successful pilot, ‘Days Out by Train in the West of England’, a scheme supported by GWR Customer and Communities Improvement Fund 2016/17 designed to better understand barriers to rail travel delivered in collaboration with University of the West of England (UWE). Severnside Community Rail Partnership (SCRP) were keen to make local stations more accessible for all users and hoped this project would build confidence in using the local rail network and help to provide a voice for the communities. The scheme offered free facilitated day trips by train to community groups who have perceived barriers to rail travel. The most recent phases of the scheme have been supported by GWR Customer and Communities Improvement Fund, the Community Rail Development fund managed by the Community Rail Network and the Quartet Community Foundation

In the planning stages, Severnside CRP identified four priority groups for whom engagement in the scheme was likely to bring a range of positive benefits. These targeted groups were:

·       d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community

·       People with Dementia and their carers

·       Refugees and Asylum Seekers

·       Elderly isolated people

Invitations to participate were sent to community organisations who support the targeted groups and if keen, a visit from Severnside CRP’s Community Development Officer would be arranged. At this pre-trip meeting, the groups were able to share concerns and experiences of public travel while working with the Community Development Officer to choose a suitable destination from their local station. Severnside CRP would then create a bespoke trip, taking into consideration the needs of the group and any accessibility support. Risk Assessments were completed with input from the group leader and all activities, tickets and timetables were coordinated by Severnside CRP. Participants completed pre and post visit questionnaires designed to measure the impact the scheme had on building confidence and improving wellbeing. Survey results will also be used to provide a voice for the community on matters relating to the local rail and wider public transport network.

The initial stages involved the Community Development Officer researching and contacting eligible community organisations supporting the targeted groups across the five local authorities that Severnside CRP work within. Word of mouth gradually became the main method of referral due to the positive feedback the scheme was receiving, and the scheme being championed within wider community networks. In readiness for delivery, Severnside CRP created two surveys using an online impact reporting tool as well as photographic consent forms and general risk assessments which would be adapted for each trip.

Every group had the opportunity to shape the format, destination and itinerary for the trip so that they would get the most benefit in relation to their specific needs. For example, The Centre For Deaf Sewing Group based in South Gloucestershire were keen to use the opportunity to discover a new independent haberdashery within walking distance of a station in South Bristol for both social reasons and to grow the confidence to use public transport independently to make future visits to this outlet.  Bristol has recently introduced a clean air zone, so many would incur charges if they were to make this journey by car (which would be there default mode of transport) .  Other groups found, who’s members had wide range of impairments (including mobility, visual, audio and non-visible)  found it most beneficial to experience the support GWR of Passenger Assistance and to discover how accessible their local stations and rail services are, and where there are challenges,  how to access support to make the journey possible.

Once a destination had been chosen and all mobility and other needs acknowledged, Severnside CRP would plan the trip for the chosen date, making sure to check the suitability of the services with GWR Lead Area Operations Manager. The trips included light refreshments which, where possible, were at local independent cafes and restaurants to support the local economy.

Baseline information relating to participants previous experience of rail and general feelings and behaviours around using public transport were captured during the Community Development Officers first visit to the group in their community setting.  A follow up survey was conducted on the return train journey of the Day Out Buy Train Trip.

After the trip, the groups were sent a follow up email approximately 8 weeks afterwards to ensure the relationships created remained beyond the term of the project.

The project has successfully accomplished all targets to time and on budget and scheme has overachieved on number of participants. Building contacts in the communities was slow to start however once engagement began, other organisations came forward through word of mouth and there is a now a wait list of 8 organisations who would be keen to take up the opportunity. In addition to this many of the organisations were keen to have more than 10 participants join the trips which meant expectations had to be managed from the very start. There have been some minor barriers throughout the scheme, most of which were issues that needed addressing and the Days Out By Train was able to highlight. The Live Interpreter App is a new feature available on all GWR staff phones. It supports British Sign Language users to have access to a live translator at any GWR staffed station. Unfortunately, the app did not work with one of our trips with the d/Deaf community but the GWR accessibility mentor who was accompanying us has raised this internally. Another issue was around a rejected Passenger Assistance booking – the generic checking system incorrectly labelled a station as having no ramp however the onboard train staff would be able to put out the ramp that is stored on the train. This has been shared with the GWR Accessibility Team who are looking into the cause of this.

In relation to survey data, it became apparent that the group members could vary from the original meeting due to the drop-In nature of the organisations. In order to capture the outcomes and development of those involved, the initial baseline survey was conducted on the day of the trip either on the platform or while travelling on the train. The follow up was conducted on the return journey, thus enabling the data to reflect those who actually turned up on the day.

Two trips were rescheduled due to lockdown in care homes and two trips delayed due to the snow, all four trips were rescheduled and delivered at a later date.

The scheme has had a positive impact on the local communities which aligns with the four pillars of Community Rail as set out by the Department for Transport.

Providing a voice for the community: The targeted community groups worked with the Community Development Officer to create a trip that would most benefit their participants; whether that be a focus on learning practical skills such as booking assistance, or just having more awareness and confidence to use local railways to access social or employment opportunities. The lessons learnt from targeted groups will be embedded into future Severnside CRP projects and shared with key partners to develop services for a wide range of communities. These learning points are shared in the ‘Lesson Learnt’ section below.

Promoting sustainable, healthy and accessible travel: All of the participants were regarded as having perceived barriers to rail travel so by taking part in the scheme, they were able to experience healthy and accessible travel options from their local stations.

Bringing communities together: Through this scheme, Severnside CRP have developed beneficial relationships with many community organisations. These relationships will continue beyond the initial trips, most notably with the Centre for Deaf and Hard of Hearing who are working with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community to build independence and with Bristol businesses to become more Deaf Friendly. Severnside were sympathetic to this ambition so trips with these groups incorporated visits to local businesses and cafes who were open to developing their accessibility.

Support diversity, inclusion plus social and economic development: Days Out By Train is by design, supporting diversity and inclusion by working with targeted groups with perceived barriers to rail travel. By giving these groups with positive experiences of the railways encourages future engagement and confidence in rail travel. In a practical way, the scheme enabled participants to experience GWR Passenger Assist Services and the new Live Interpreter app which is currently being rolled out across all GWR station and onboard staff.

Total engagements/contacts from community setting visits and trips: 354

Days Out By Train was initially promoted by the Community Development Officer reaching out to targeted community groups via emails, calls and visits. Quite quickly the scheme was becoming popular from positive feedback and community groups advocating and sharing their experiences. This led to many referrals by word of mouth and has now become a waiting list as more and more groups see the benefit in encouraging sustainable and healthy travel for their community members.

The relationship with The Centre for Deaf and Hard of Hearing has developed over the scheme and will continue as new funding is sourced to develop the scheme and track any behaviour change in the participants post trip. The work with the d/Deaf community flagged up the limited signing experience of the team. The Community Development Officer delivering the scheme discussed British Sign Language (BSL) training in a Severnside CRP Key Partners meeting, this was picked up by GWR’s Community Manager who is aware of the voluntary BSL training available to all GWR staff. They kindly extended the opportunity to all CRP Officers across the GWR network.

The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) offered to support the scheme with volunteers who were able to who sign up to offer practical help on the trips. Severnside CRP hosted a presentation to several staff about the scheme and coordinated DBS checks for those interested in helping.  WECA are also onboard to support the Rail Education scheme Platform and any future Days Out BY Train trips.

Further funding is being sought to continue the project due to the widespread popularity, all organisations involved would be keen to give the opportunity of a trip to more of their participants as well as new organisations waiting for contact once funding has been secured.

Throughout the scheme we shared updates via social media (Facebook, Instagram & Twitter). Working with Oku Studio and Woven Films, Severnside CRP have a new dedicated webpage on the website for Days Out By Train, plus a short film to promote and give more information about the scheme. You can find the Days Out by Train dedicated webpage here: https://severnside-rail.org.uk/days-out-by-train/

And the video on Severnside CRP YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_2ZfJeQnPA

Participant feedback via Impact surveys:

“Staff have made it (travelling by train) easier than I expected. Thank you for organising. We really enjoyed it. It was great to have a change of scene and to learn that going on the train is not so difficult.”

“Well organised, staff very patient, would recommend anybody to go on a trip like this.”

“First time using my local station, I don’t know many other places except my neighbourhood. I want to take my son to Severn Beach for the day, it is lovely. We will go on the train.’

“The staff on the trains were without fail helpful and caring. I cannot recommend them highly enough. They are a credit to GWR.”

“I’m all the years I’ve come to Weston, I’ve never seen it like this before. I could see all the way to Wales and that.”

“I got on the train easily better than the local buses.”

“An excellent day, good fun, a wonderful opportunity to share experiences whilst not having to think about organisation – a much appreciated event and good initiative. Faye was fantastic, thoughtful, kind, nothing was too much trouble – everything went like clockwork!”

“A very enjoyable day out. Thank you very much. Easy travel for our group living with dementia including wheelchairs and walkers.”

“We are not confident to use the train on our own anymore but would happily do again as a group. Glad to get out of the house.”