Community Rail Lancashire has just received news that it has been successful in securing a grant from the Transport for Greater Manchester Small Grants Fund.
The project with a working title of #beefree_mcr is inspired by the well-loved Bee in the City project and is designed to enhance CRL’s Railway Confidence Programmes and to encourage groups with special educational needs to use the train, but to give them a purpose for the journey.
The map will be a guide from different rail and metro locations across the city that highlights where there are bee symbols to be spotted and as well as other aspects of Manchester’s diverse history (including women’s history, LGBT+ history and BAME history). By use of this map CRL aims to encourage both tourists and locals alike to explore the city by public transport and on foot as a way of discovering new and exciting facts and locations. The specific facts and locations will be chosen, written and illustrated by young people with additional needs and disabilities, groups of young women, and those from other relevant underrepresented groups in order that the map genuinely reflects the interests of the young people who will use it through school engagement and, it is hoped, through personal interest.
Reverse graffiti is an eco-friendly way of making a (semi-permanent) stencil on the pavements and walls of Manchester and this will be used to direct people along the route. Impressions are created by removing dirt within a stencilled area and, as well as being practical, will add a striking and contemporary element to the project. The design for this project will be inspired by the shape of the Manchester bee symbol and hexagonal shape of the hive. It will also include our project hashtag – #beefree_mcr that will encourage people to digitally share their journeys across the city and also enable us to track community engagement.
This project is being funded by the TfGM Small Grants Fund and Community Rail Lancashire.