Community Rail Week got off to a fantastic start with a day of interactive workshops at the ‘bunker’ at Accrington Eco Station, welcoming 80 local schoolchildren to take part in engaging, hands-on activities celebrating sustainability, rail heritage, and future careers.

In the morning session, 60 pupils from Woodnook Primary School and Peel Park Primary School took part in a series of workshops. In the afternoon, 20 secondary students from St Christopher’s CE High School and The Hollins joined the programme.

Young participants took part in three key activities:

• 🌼 Eco Gardening: Children got their hands dirty making seed bombs in the Eco Garden with Sonja from The Prospects Foundation, learning about biodiversity and pollinator-friendly planting.
• 🎨 Creative Rail200 Artwork: Local artist Diane Muldowney led pupils in producing unique linocut and cyanotype prints inspired by 200 years of railway heritage, as part of the national #Rail200 celebrations.
• 👷‍♂️ Railway Careers Exploration: Pupils explored a range of roles within the rail industry, had talks from Northern staff, tried on uniforms, and enjoyed a surprise visit from Whistle the Dog, Northern’s friendly mascot.

The event highlighted the value of bringing young people together through community rail to explore environmental sustainability, creativity, and the opportunities offered by the railway sector.

A huge thank you goes out to all partners and volunteers who supported the day, making it a memorable and meaningful start to Community Rail Week.