Kent Community Rail Partnership held its annual Stakeholder meeting on Thursday 27th April at Maidstone Town Hall, celebrating the work of its members, partners and volunteers.
The event showcased our work which brings communities together along our lines to brighten local station environments, promote sustainable travel and tourism, and support social connections; none of it possible without the support of our volunteers.
Our Chair, Chris Fribbins presented certificates of appreciation to many of the volunteers present at the meeting, we have some more to hand out as we catch up with others over the coming months.
This year our Volunteer of the Year award was presented by Steve White, Managing Director of Southeastern to Jonathan Fryer.
Chris Fribbins, Chair of Kent Community Rail Partnership said, “Jonathan has shown his dedication to our partnership and his local community in Swale since our early days, deserving of our thanks and recognition as we move into our 20th anniversary year.”
Officer presentations showcased our Award Winning work over the past twelve months and the exciting projects to be delivered in the coming year.
John Jones, aka Rainham Rail Enthusiast, delivered a fascinating presentation on videography at stations, setting out the many hours of preparation and work required to produce a few minutes of delightful footage. John also provided the video that ran through the refreshment break, with views of stations and activities on all of our lines.
Mark Welch gave insights from KCC on the role rail transport plays in supporting Kent’s economy and tourism.
Our key note speaker was Steve White. In a presentation covering Southeastern’s determination to deliver a thriving future for the railway and the communities it serves, his enthusiasm for Community Rail’s “sprinkling of fairy dust” shone through as did his pride in Southeastern’s people.
It was a great afternoon, sharing our achievements, made possible by our stakeholders, partners and volunteers, and looking to the future – Thank you all for your dedication.
