Great Western Coffee Shop

I have completed award submissions for a while ... 2 entries to the ACoRP awards on behalf of TransWilts, and one each to ACoRP and the National Transport Awards on behalf of the Coffee Shop. There remains the RailFuture awards - 2 months yet to completion of entries; last year the Melksham Rail User group won the best campaign gold award and that reduces what thay can enter this year, but someone may be tempted to submit the Coffee Shop for an award - https://www.railfuture.org.uk/display1755 .

Awards are a wonderful way of taking stock of where you are, of promoting your achievements and street-cred to compatriots, and of saying "thank you" to the teams of people who have worked so hard to achieve.  I have my doubts around elements of the industry that promoted the penguin dinners and like around them, but if the people being celebated enjoy it, and it gains marketing visibility for the good cause, then why not?

This year, all entries have been made online, and in each case via a form requiring multiple boxes be completed and multiple uploads. For later reference, I have combined the elements into a single .pdf document in each case, which I shall be making use of to generate further publicity through the short listing and perhaps even awards process if we get that far.

The "TransWilts App" entry into the information and Marketing category may be read at http://atrebatia.info/2018-acorp-app.pdf
The "Individual Contribution" entry nominating Paul Johnson for TransWIlts is at http://atrebatia.info/2018-acorp-pj.pdf
The Coffee Shop submission to the DfT in the under £500 budget category is at http://gwr.passenger.chat/2018-acorp-cs.pdf
The Coffee Shop entry to the National Transport Awards is at http://gwr.passenger.chat/2018-nta-cs.pdf

Shortlisted NTA entries will be notified in July, and ACoRP entries will be notified by 7th August.  NTA awards will be made on 11th October in London, and ACoRP awards will be presented in Glasgow on 4th October.

[hr]

All of this feels a very, very long way from the trials and tribulations of trying to make reliable regular train journeys at present.   However, it's right to remember the good that's out there too, and to work to ensuring that players such as Paul, the App, and the Coffee Shop remain visible and respected so that as the opportunities arise the groundwork of "who are YOU" is already in place.   These award entries are not a replacement for day to day work - they are in addition to build for the future.

Our National Transport Awards entry has failed to make the cut ... but it was good practise for writing up the ACoRP ones (we should know about those next week) and will have reached and been seen at least by the people who produce the shortlist, if not the full judging panel

Unlucky Graham - can I suggest that you find out who writes GWR's award submissions and get a few tips from them?

He's clearly a miracle worker judging by their success in winning "Rail Business of the Year" !!!