CRL - Community Rail Lancashire

View the impressive display of flowers on the platforms at Church & Oswaldtwistle Railway Station

For the past 8 years volunteers from the Church and Oswaldtwistle Rotary spend every Saturday morning from February to end of October ensuring the railway station is kept in pristine condition. During the months of March and April, daffodils and tulips are in full bloom in the 14 planters, and during the summer months June to the end of September multi coloured begonias again  in the 14 planters give a very impressive sight on both platforms

In addition on the Accrington platform at the far end, is a model engine and carriages built out of wooden whiskey barrels which is a real ‘show stopper’ especially with the flowers in bloom. This is certainly worth a visit for those who rarely use the train to and from Church and Oswaldtwistle railway station.

 

The volunteers are made up of Rotarians and Friends of Rotary who are proud of the work they do to show the station in the best possible way, and they are pleased when rail user make positive comments on how good the station looks.

When work started 8 years ago, the 60 yards verge outside the station was an eyesore with many bushes and weeds that took 4 weeks to remove, then 2 tonnes of chippings were laid down to give this area a pleasing picture. Banners on the 2 wooden planter sited on top of the chippings signify that the station has been given the title of being ‘adopted’ to Rotary by Community Rail Network.

Because there is no water supply at the station volunteers on the watering of the begonias means at least 40 litres of water has to be carted from home, this is a real task, especially as the volunteers need to be fairly fit to perform the job.

This railway station is extremely large and covers a great deal of area, this means to keep on top of the weeds is a constant problem and despite strong weed killer the weeds reappear.

Sweeping of the concourse outside the station and the staircases and the platforms are done on a regular basis, as indeed painting of the numerous handrails on the disabled ramp and staircases need a regular paint.

Funding for our station came from a variety of sources including Northern’s Station Adoption Fund and through Community Rail Lancashire as a grant from the Community Rail Network’s Small Grant Fund.

President Dawn, a volunteer at the station herself said ‘ It is very pleasing to see the state of the station has been truly transformed, and I wish to thank the volunteers for giving up their Saturday mornings for 9 months every year. I am very proud that our Rotary club is associated with this very worthwhile project’

If anyone from the area would like to help out as a volunteer for one or more Saturday mornings then please contact Michael Jackson on 0796 7235825.

If you would like to know more about being a member of Rotary then contact Ken Freeman on 07935 352861