Three Sleaford area projects shortlisted for the national Annual Community Rail Partnership Awards

The ACoRP Awards recognise the unsung heroes of the community rail world for their hard work and dedication. The overall winners will be announced at a gala presentation evening on Thursday October 4 at the DoubleTree By Hilton in Glasgow.

And this year, the Poacher Line Community Rail Partnership has been nominated in four categories:

* Best Marketing or Communications Campaign: For the ‘100 Years of the RAF’ Poacher Line marketing campaign, sponsored by Cross Country Trains and East Midlands Trains, which included a Red Arrow plane being on display at Birmingham New Street Station.

* Involving Children and Young People: For work with photography and art students from St George’s Academy, Sleaford. The students were tasked with creating a marketing campaign for the Poacher Line that would appeal to a younger audience. They were invited to hold an exhibition for the public at Sleaford train station, where their artwork is now a permanent feature.

* It’s Your Station: Ancaster and Radcliffe on Trent stations have both been nominated for the great work of their station adopters. Ancaster have been placed in the silver banding and Radcliffe on Trent in the bronze.

Kaye Robinson, Community Rail Partnership Officer, said: “Being shortlisted in these national awards provides fantastic recognition for everyone involved in making the Nottingham to Skegness route a sustainable and successful railway line. Every project takes time and hard work, often by volunteers, so the annual awards are a real celebration and a great way to say thank you to everyone involved.”

Donna Adams, Community Rail and Stakeholder Manager for East Midlands Trains, said: “ACoRP’s Community Rail Awards are the highlight of the year for our community rail partners, where their great work and dedication is celebrated and recognised.

“It’s fantastic to have a total of 12 shortlisted nominations involving our community rail partners and station adoption groups. They are all deserving entries and I would like to pass on my thanks and appreciation for all those that have been involved

“At East Midlands Trains, we have long been strong supporters of community rail and the improvements that it delivers to customers and communities. These awards are a well-deserved endorsement of all the fantastic work that goes on across our community rail lines every day to help us improve our railway and to attract more people onto our train services.”