Reddish South Station friends chuffed at yet another award
THE Friends of Reddish South Station have added another award to their collection of accolades.
The station won the ‘ACoRP Community Award’ in the Cheshire’s Best Kept Stations awards.
It was among 16 stations to win an accolade in the 14th annual event, which was attended by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire, the High Sheriff of Cheshire, the Deputy Lord Mayor of Chester, the Mayors of Cheshire East, Halton, Tameside and Stockport, and six other mayors.
The awards were presented before 140 guests at The Grange Theatre in Northwich by Professor Paul Salveson MBE, group advisor society and communities at Arriva UK Trains and a ‘founding father’ of the community rail movement.
The Friends were recognised for their tireless campaign to have a full service reinstated at the station.
At present, it has just a single, one way service to Stalybridge every Friday morning.
The award also recognised the group’s work improve the station’s appearance, which includes tending its garden area and the competitions it runs with schools to provide artwork to display on the fencing.
Friends secretary Kim Burrows said: “We’re totally surprised but delighted. We have worked so hard and it’s really gratifying to have praise and recognition.”
The group also campaigns to raise the profile of the station. They were given a major boost last year when it featured in the Channel Four documentary, Paul Merton’s Secret Stations.
Since then, the station has welcomed visitors from across the country and even one rail enthusiast who came all the way from the US to ride the train.
One of the group’s regular activities is its ‘folk trains’ where folk performers board the train to perform for passengers.
The first folk train of 2017 takes place on Good Friday, April 14. The train leaves Stockport station at 9.15am and picks up passengers at Reddish South at 9.27am.
The Stalybridge Buffet Bar will be opening early to provide bacon sandwiches and drinks.
See reddish.dsracing. me.uk for more details.