Community Rail funding

[whole diary]

[grahame]

I have too much to do and too little time ... so can I ask for help here - for an update Community Rail funding.  And I know we have a number of esteemed members here who are far more in the picture than I am. From a meeting last night, talk was of a 25% cut in Community Rail funding, decided by the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about) on the basis that:
1. Rail fare box takings are down and Community Rail must take a hit too.
2. Volunteers will continue to volunteer anyway.

[ChrisB]

That is correct. I'm not sure there is anything to add

[RichardB]

Here's more from the Community Rail Network, Graham, https://communityrail.org.uk/community-rail-news-14-june-2023/ and I've attached a piece from Rail Business Daily.

The good news for us in GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and SWR^» (South Western Railway - about) land is that both rail companies were very quick in organising payment of grants to CRPs^▸ (Community Rail Partnership) so I believe we all have our funding from them for 23-24.   Certainly we do here in Devon & Cornwall.  Obviously we'll have to see how things develop for next year.

Of course, Community Rail is much more than working with volunteers, as valuable and important as that is.

[grahame]

Thanks for that clarification, Chris and Richard.  These days, I am sufficiently removed from the Community Rail Partnership scene that I wasn't able to answer to this when it came up at last night's rail user group committee meeting.

P.S. Ironic that this should come up 5 years to the day since the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) Community Rail Conference in Swindon - http://gwr.passenger.chat/19245  a great celebration for our local community rail but personally very painful.   Community Rail remains so useful as a tool to involve the railways in the communities they serve, and to involve the communities in the railways that serve them, for the mutual benefit (social, financial and economic) of both parties.  How it's done benefits from tuning, both locally and nationally, from time to time.

[ChrisB]

Being run again combined with the Stakeholder version this September in the same location!

[grahame]

Being run again combined with the Stakeholder version this September in the same location!

Indeed - and I am holding the date in my personal diary in the possibility of being able to attend. Community involvement in rail - I would say the community love of rail travel by ambassadors for this mode of travel is of enormous value. It's more than just "nice" to have key advocates meet up once a year - it's intensely valuable to listen and learn from others in a similar role at other stations and on other lines, and a very efficient way for the train operators to reach and inform a substantial audience, and a way to motivate the volunteers by saying "thank you, we appreciate what you do"