The Friends of Gordon Hill Station group has been shortlisted as part of the 19th annual Community Rail Awards

Pictured with the new mural at Gordon Hill Station is artist Alex McHallam (left), John Cole (centre) and Alison Yates (right)

A group of volunteers who have helped to transform an Enfield railway station have been nominated for an award.

The Friends of Gordon Hill Station has been shortlisted in the ‘It’s Your Station’ category at the Community Rail Awards, now in its 19th
year.

The awards recognise the important work carried out by a large number of people, often volunteers, who work across Britain’s rail network to make stations welcoming spaces for passengers and visitors alike.

At Gordon Hill the friends group, launched just two years ago, has completed a number of projects that have helped transform the station on the Hertford Loop Line.

These projects include delivering an Arts Council-funded community mosaic, working with volunteers from Enfield Mens Shed and Age UK Enfield to make and install a bench from repurposed wood; establishing a gardening group to create a new garden area encircling the car park and grow hops for a community beer project; curating poems on posters with an Enfield Poets; commissioning an artist-led map of the area and a new direction sign to support a new walking route and promote rail travel; working with the Bee Friendly Trust to create an eye-catching insect home and wildlife area; and publishing a photobook of the Hertford Loop with Edmonton Camera Club.

John Cole, co-founder of the Friends of Gordon Hill Station, said: “Alison Yates and I are really pleased with the shortlisting. Since September 2021 together with so many other people – artists, poets, musicians, gardeners of all ages, local schools and businesses and our sponsors Great Northern and The Enfield Society – we have had some great fun in and around the station, hopefully helping to improve the travelling experience and providing an outlet for creativity and volunteering.

“Come and join us!”

The winners of the Community Rail Awards will be announced at an awards ceremony in Swansea on 18th March 2024. The event is jointly sponsored by Great Western Railway and Transport for Wales.

Jools Townsend, chief executive of Community Rail Network said: “Our Community Rail Awards showcase the amazing projects, initiatives and people across Britain, that make community rail. This year we’ve received over 200 submissions and as always, the standard of entries has been extremely high.

“We’re looking forward to joining our community rail colleagues and industry partners to celebrate their hard work, positivity, and dedication at our awards evening in March.”

For more information on the Community Rail Awards:
Visit communityrail.org.uk/events-and-campaigns/community-rail-awards/

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