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Latest news from Lancashire’s Community Railways

Citizens’ Rail’s partners in Lancashire have published the latest edition of Reading between the lines – their informative newsletter packed with great community rail articles and ideas to inspire you.

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The Summer 2014 edition includes a great piece on Citizens’ Rail, including more details and photos about the fantastic presentation in Burnley last month by Padiham Green CE Primary School for our European partners.

[icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] Read the newsletter (4MB PDF)

2014/08/06
Minibeast Trail on The Riviera Line

As part of Citizens’ Rail, a new “Minibeast Trail” has been launched on The Riviera Line to encourage young families to try the train.

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Children from Gatehouse Primary School in Dawlish and Sure Start Dads’ Club Stay and Play in Teignmouth have made the “minibeasts” – including butterflies, dragonflies, bees, ladybirds and snails – from recycled plastic and put them on planters at Teignmouth, Dawlish, Newton Abbot, Torquay and Paignton stations.

A special “Minibeast Trail” leaflet has been produced and children are being encouraged to visit each station, find that station’s “Minibeast” and give them a name. Once all five have been found and named, a prize of the Ladybird “Minibeasts First Fabulous Facts” book can be claimed by sending the completed leaflet to the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership.

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Leaflets are available from local staffed stations and can be downloaded from therivieraline.com/minibeasts.

The “Minibeast Trail” project was inspired by Catherine Pollitt from Kenn who won the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership’s “Flower Power” competition to suggest how local stations could be brightened this summer. Catherine suggested the “Minibeast” theme and Dawlish artist Melissa Muldoon worked with the children’s groups to design, make and decorate the “Minibeasts” out of recycled plastic produced by Dawlish Community College.

It is part of the EU Citizens’ Rail project led by the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership which is working to develop the Riviera Line in a variety of ways, including by getting more people involved at the line’s stations.

“The children had a fantastic time and thoroughly enjoyed taking part,” commented Mrs Angela Jeffery, Head Teacher at Gatehouse Primary. “I am really looking forward to seeing their displayed work at each station.”

First Great Western Station Manager for South Devon, Laura Greening said “This scheme is a great way to encourage both local children and those visiting the area to use our railway safely and confidently. The artworks will brighten our station environment and this is a great way for the communities we are dedicated to supporting to become involved in their railway.”

Local partners in Citizens’ Rail – which is 50% funded by the EU’s Interreg IVB programme – include Devon County Council, Torbay Council, First Great Western, Plymouth University and the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership.

More information about the “Minibeast Trail” and the Citizens’ Rail project, including how to get involved, contact Riviera Line Project Officer Celia Minoughan at the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership on 01752 584777 or at celia@citizensrail.org or visit our Devon page.

[icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] Find out more and download your leaflet at therivieraline.com/minibeasts.

2014/07/23
Sur la piste des petites bêtes

Dans le cadre du projet Citizens’ Rail, une “piste des petites bêtes” (Minibeast Trail en anglais) a été lancée cet été sur la Riviera Line (ligne Exeter – Paignton , au Royaume-Uni) pour inciter les jeunes familles à essayer le train.

2014/07/23
Minibeast Trail on The Riviera Line

As part of Citizens’ Rail, a new “Minibeast Trail” has been launched on The Riviera Line to encourage young families to try the train.

[divider type=”default” vspace=”20px” hspace=”0%” /]
Children from Gatehouse Primary School in Dawlish and Sure Start Dads’ Club Stay and Play in Teignmouth have made the “minibeasts” – including butterflies, dragonflies, bees, ladybirds and snails – from recycled plastic and put them on planters at Teignmouth, Dawlish, Newton Abbot, Torquay and Paignton stations.

A special “Minibeast Trail” leaflet has been produced and children are being encouraged to visit each station, find that station’s “Minibeast” and give them a name. Once all five have been found and named, a prize of the Ladybird “Minibeasts First Fabulous Facts” book can be claimed by sending the completed leaflet to the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership.

[notphone][/notphone]

Leaflets are available from local staffed stations and can be downloaded from therivieraline.com/minibeasts.

The “Minibeast Trail” project was inspired by Catherine Pollitt from Kenn who won the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership’s “Flower Power” competition to suggest how local stations could be brightened this summer. Catherine suggested the “Minibeast” theme and Dawlish artist Melissa Muldoon worked with the children’s groups to design, make and decorate the “Minibeasts” out of recycled plastic produced by Dawlish Community College.

It is part of the EU Citizens’ Rail project led by the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership which is working to develop the Riviera Line in a variety of ways, including by getting more people involved at the line’s stations.

“The children had a fantastic time and thoroughly enjoyed taking part,” commented Mrs Angela Jeffery, Head Teacher at Gatehouse Primary. “I am really looking forward to seeing their displayed work at each station.”

First Great Western Station Manager for South Devon, Laura Greening said “This scheme is a great way to encourage both local children and those visiting the area to use our railway safely and confidently. The artworks will brighten our station environment and this is a great way for the communities we are dedicated to supporting to become involved in their railway.”

Local partners in Citizens’ Rail – which is 50% funded by the EU’s Interreg IVB programme – include Devon County Council, Torbay Council, First Great Western, Plymouth University and the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership.

More information about the “Minibeast Trail” and the Citizens’ Rail project, including how to get involved, contact Riviera Line Project Officer Celia Minoughan at the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership on 01752 584777 or at celia@citizensrail.org or visit our Devon page.

[icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] Find out more and download your leaflet at therivieraline.com/minibeasts.

2014/07/23
Minibeast Trail on The Riviera Line

As part of Citizens’ Rail, a new “Minibeast Trail” has been launched on The Riviera Line to encourage young families to try the train.

[divider type=”default” vspace=”20px” hspace=”0%” /]
Children from Gatehouse Primary School in Dawlish and Sure Start Dads’ Club Stay and Play in Teignmouth have made the “minibeasts” – including butterflies, dragonflies, bees, ladybirds and snails – from recycled plastic and put them on planters at Teignmouth, Dawlish, Newton Abbot, Torquay and Paignton stations.

A special “Minibeast Trail” leaflet has been produced and children are being encouraged to visit each station, find that station’s “Minibeast” and give them a name. Once all five have been found and named, a prize of the Ladybird “Minibeasts First Fabulous Facts” book can be claimed by sending the completed leaflet to the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership.

[notphone][/notphone]

Leaflets are available from local staffed stations and can be downloaded from therivieraline.com/minibeasts.

The “Minibeast Trail” project was inspired by Catherine Pollitt from Kenn who won the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership’s “Flower Power” competition to suggest how local stations could be brightened this summer. Catherine suggested the “Minibeast” theme and Dawlish artist Melissa Muldoon worked with the children’s groups to design, make and decorate the “Minibeasts” out of recycled plastic produced by Dawlish Community College.

It is part of the EU Citizens’ Rail project led by the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership which is working to develop the Riviera Line in a variety of ways, including by getting more people involved at the line’s stations.

“The children had a fantastic time and thoroughly enjoyed taking part,” commented Mrs Angela Jeffery, Head Teacher at Gatehouse Primary. “I am really looking forward to seeing their displayed work at each station.”

First Great Western Station Manager for South Devon, Laura Greening said “This scheme is a great way to encourage both local children and those visiting the area to use our railway safely and confidently. The artworks will brighten our station environment and this is a great way for the communities we are dedicated to supporting to become involved in their railway.”

Local partners in Citizens’ Rail – which is 50% funded by the EU’s Interreg IVB programme – include Devon County Council, Torbay Council, First Great Western, Plymouth University and the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership.

More information about the “Minibeast Trail” and the Citizens’ Rail project, including how to get involved, contact Riviera Line Project Officer Celia Minoughan at the Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership on 01752 584777 or at celia@citizensrail.org or visit our Devon page.

[icon size=”14px” color=”#D42053″ background=”#ffffff” radius=”0px” type=”icon-chevron-sign-right” spacing=”0px” /] Find out more and download your leaflet at therivieraline.com/minibeasts.

2014/07/23
Citizens’ Rail at the International Geographical Union

Dominik Elsmann from RWTH Aachen University has been accepted to speak at the International Geographical Union’s 2014 conference on “Citizens’ Rail – Using citizens‘ participation for rail revitalization”.

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The conference takes place next month in Krakow, and the presentation will form part of the session on “Geography of Governance – Geography, governance and citizens’ participation“. It is a great opportunity to promote the Citizens’ Rail project to a dedicated audience and to exchange knowledge on this important topic. Geographers from all over the world will join the conference, which takes place annually.

2014/07/18
Citizens’ Rail at the International Geographical Union

Dominik Elsmann from RWTH Aachen University has been accepted to speak at the International Geographical Union’s 2014 conference on “Citizens’ Rail – Using citizens‘ participation for rail revitalization”.

[divider type=”default” vspace=”20px” hspace=”0%” /]
The conference takes place next month in Krakow, and the presentation will form part of the session on “Geography of Governance – Geography, governance and citizens’ participation“. It is a great opportunity to promote the Citizens’ Rail project to a dedicated audience and to exchange knowledge on this important topic. Geographers from all over the world will join the conference, which takes place annually.

2014/07/18
Citizens’ Rail at the International Geographical Union

Dominik Elsmann from RWTH Aachen University has been accepted to speak at the International Geographical Union’s 2014 conference on “Citizens’ Rail – Using citizens‘ participation for rail revitalization”.

[divider type=”default” vspace=”20px” hspace=”0%” /]
The conference takes place next month in Krakow, and the presentation will form part of the session on “Geography of Governance – Geography, governance and citizens’ participation“. It is a great opportunity to promote the Citizens’ Rail project to a dedicated audience and to exchange knowledge on this important topic. Geographers from all over the world will join the conference, which takes place annually.

2014/07/18
Citizens’ Rail at the International Geographical Union

Dominik Elsmann from RWTH Aachen University has been accepted to speak at the International Geographical Union’s 2014 conference on “Citizens’ Rail – Using citizens‘ participation for rail revitalization”.

[divider type=”default” vspace=”20px” hspace=”0%” /]
The conference takes place next month in Krakow, and the presentation will form part of the session on “Geography of Governance – Geography, governance and citizens’ participation“. It is a great opportunity to promote the Citizens’ Rail project to a dedicated audience and to exchange knowledge on this important topic. Geographers from all over the world will join the conference, which takes place annually.

2014/07/18
Burnley school children welcome European partners in style

Children from Padiham Green Primary School gave Citizens’ Rail partners a fantastic welcome to Lancashire for the project’s latest partner meeting.

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At Burnley Manchester Road‘s new station building (to be opened later this year), the pupils presented an educational play about the local railway (complete with historical hats and moustaches!), followed by presentations about each of Citizens’ Rail’s partner regions. The children also created a wide range of railway-related artwork, adorning the station’s community room.

The partners were hugely impressed and touched by the effort and imagination that the children had clearly invested in learning about the culture, economy, food and history of each local area. The children in turn were excited to meet representatives from each of the countries they had been studying – providing a chance to find out more, and to try out their language skills.

Uwe Müller from Stadt Aachen said: “The children’s work and enthusiasm was really outstanding! I was very impressed by what they had learned and presented about Aachen. I hope that one day we might be able to arrange for the children to visit our cities in person.”

Erwan Terrillon from Pays de la Loire said: “I was extremely impressed by the quality of work that the children produced, and the way they explained the history of their railway line and the geography of the different Citizens’ Rail partners. I also very much enjoyed their words in French!”

Our warm thanks go to the staff and pupils of Padiham Green Primary School who made it such a terrific occasion and to Community Rail Lancashire for facilitating the project – made possible thanks to their years of engagement and relationship-building with local schools.

Enjoy some photos from the day below…

The children present what they have learned about Aachen:

The children had great costumes to bring to life the story of their local railway:

Poster about Nantes – see a larger version:

Poster about Heerlen – see a larger version:

Poster about Burnley – see a larger version:

A chance to meet Uwe from Stadt Aachen:

Saying “bonjour” to Erwan from Pays de la Loire:

Trying to tempt Andreas from Aachener Verkehrsverbund with some local delicacies:

Carrying on the discussion in the station’s community room:

Eye-catching artwork by the pupils:

Dominic from Torbay Council and Erwan from Pays de la Loire wave off their new friends:

All in all a great day – well done Class 4!

2014/07/14