CRL - Community Rail Lancashire

Beaverbrooks volunteers help St Anne’s station shine

A local partnership is helping St Annes-on-the-Sea railway station live up to its reputation as a “Coastal Gem”, with volunteers from Beaverbrooks the Jewellers lending regular support to the station’s dedicated community team.

An approach from staff member Caroline Holman, has enabled the existing station volunteers to benefit from extra pairs of hands whenever the Beaverbrooks team joins them.

During a summer visit to the station by the North West in Bloom judges, Caroline explained that Beaverbrooks was pleased to support the volunteer group through its wider community programme.

She said: “As a business based in St Anne’s, Beaverbrooks is proud to support local community projects that bring people together and make a visible difference to the town. Working alongside the station volunteers gives our colleagues a practical way to contribute, meet new people and help maintain a welcoming space for residents and visitors.”

The Beaverbrooks volunteers rotate over several weeks, depending on their work commitments, which means the station volunteers work alongside different colleagues as the weeks go by.

Tony Ford, Chairman of the Friends of St Annes station, said: “We have been blown away by the level of assistance and enthusiasm that the Beaverbrooks team has brought to our station. As a result, some larger tasks have been completed in a much shorter timeframe.”

One of the first tasks the Beaverbrooks team took on was planting discarded golf bags in advance of the AIG Women’s Open, which was held at the Royal Lytham & St Anne’s course in late July.  Each pocket in the golf bags was filled with compost followed by summer bedding, creating a colourful, eye-catching display.

Members of the Charities Team join in with a wide range of tasks, including the essential brew session, which often includes cake part way through the morning. It is a welcome opportunity for everyone to chat, share ideas and relax for a few minutes before tackling the next task.

This partnership also reflects a wider pattern of local businesses supporting community rail volunteers. Volunteers at other stations, including Lytham and Blackpool Pleasure Beach, have also benefited from support and help in kind from local businesses, helping to strengthen each station’s role in the community.