School and Community Engagement Work

The Kent Community Rail Partnership works with local schools and colleges near our railway stations. We run projects to enable students to take part in community activities to improve our stations. We also support groups of students to develop their confidence in travelling by train.

 

In addition to working with schools and colleges, we also work with local community groups and volunteers to run events, as well as carrying out station improvements as Station Adopters. You will see below some of the projects we have been involved in and the support we can offer.

Schools and Education Settings

Our activities are wide ranging; from rail safety talks and train travel training,  to station adoption with gardening and artworks.

If you have an idea for a project or activity and its not here, please do let us know.

 

EKC Ashford College

Ashford ESOL Travel Training NDW Oct 2025
Two people with a caddy of small colourful flowers in pots begin to plant a windowbox. Either side of the window are posters, one promoting the Southeastern app, the other Samaritans helpline
window planter charing 2022 adoption
Whitewashed stones in a grassy bank spell "C-H-A-R-I-N-G"
Students on a bench at the station listen to Therese and a tutor.
A student holding a white cane is making an announcement on the station tannoy. A screen n the desk displays departure information.
A series of brightly decorated pots spells out "A-S-H-F-O-R-D". Each pot displays a willow sculpture spelling "W-E-L-C-O-M-E"
Jools Group Community Rail Week 2022 Ashford College

EKC Sheppey College

Four people beneath a large totem sign for Sheppey College
A group of students waiting for a train at Sittingbourne station
A group of people watch a demonstration of how to use a ticket vending machine.
Rail safety artwotk in progress. Stay Off (On crossed out) Track with a hand drawn image of a person walking on a railway track in front of a train.
Planting in progress in the verge alongside a station platform.
Planter at Sittingbourne Station with Sheppey College Students
station station
Community Artwork at Stations

EKC Sheppey Secondary

EKC Sheppey Secondary Logo 4:3
Poster for the Singing Train. Illustration of a train at a station. Musical notes come from the side of a carriage into the air. Logos of EKC Schools Trusr, Kent Community Rail Partnership and Railway 200
Student artwork, "From steam to speed", a modern high speed train in black with orange highlights hurtles along the track
Student Artwotk "On Track, Aleays" The left half of the picture features a modern highspeed train on a raised concrete viaduct, travelling through a city scene, the right side switches to carriages of a steam train on the brick arches of a viaduct with the sun setting behind.
Student artwork. A steam train on a track morphs into the figure 200 "Today's Answer to Tomorrow's Problems"
Student artwork, an oversized steam locomotive "On track through time" "200 years of nation railway" "Rails that last" "forever on track"
Student artwork. The new and old Sheppey bridges with a green train crossing the latter. Inset is another drawing of the previous bridge with a blue bus and steam engine crossing

Valley Park School

Matt and two tutors in the bright, well-lit booking office at Maidstone East station

The Lenham School

The Kent Community Rail partnership and Lenham school stands in the station carpark. The tables have tasty treats, brochures and freebie items. Behind the tables are banner displays and bunting. Two students and a tutor stand chatting nearby
Colourful Railway 200 bunting on a fence at the platform entrance. There is a train at the platform
Kent Community Rail Partnership promotional stall with freebie brochures and pencils. Behind the stall students are offering delicious treats on silver foil trays
Kent Community Rail Partnership promotional stall with freebie brochures and pencils. Behind the stall students are offering delicious treats on silver foil trays
A crowd of students at the display stands
A group of students look at brochures from a display stand

Five Acre Wood Maidstone

Therese briefs the students outside Maidstone East
Students practice buying tickets from a staffed ticket office
Therese explains the information screens to Students at Maidstone East station
Students seated onboard the train
Students buy treats at a cafe counter, served by smiling staff
Students and tutors enjoy the sunshine outside Hollingbourne station

Five Acre Wood Snodland

A group of people stood in a line in front of a wire mesh gate. Behind the gate is an area of ovegrown land. Pictured - Lea Harrington, Paul Tomkins, Donna Curtis, Laura Swann, Laura Rondon
Station garden at Snodland
Replanting at Snodland Garden 2021
Sunflower Mural snodland five acre wood 2022
Snodland station garden 2019
Snodland station garden 2019
Snodland station garden 2019
Replanting at Snodland Garden 2021

Grow 19

people seated round a table at a cafe enjoying drinks and snacks
A group of people seated on a bench outside a station pose for a picture, waving at camera
A team of people in hi-vis vests planting bulbs in the verge alongside a station platform
A newly constructed planter on a station platform
Wateringbury Planters Grow19
Wateringbury Planters Grow19
Wateringbury Planters Grow19
Wateringbury Planters Grow19

Heath Farm School

 

The group of young learners outside Maidstone East station
Therese talks to a group of young learners on the platform of Charing station
Therese shows a group of young learners the whitewashed stones spelling "Charing" at the station, an example of the work of our station adopters
Therese shows off the flowers in the station adopter's windowboxes at Charing
Jonny and Mark stood on the platform beneath a "Charing" station sign. Behind them is a fence line between the platform and an overgrown area of trees and shrubs.
An overgrown area of trees and shrubs

St.Edward’s Primary School

 

Group Photo St Edwards TSTS 2021
Distraction St Edwards TSTS 2021
Distraction St Edwards TSTS 2021
Safety Facts Quiz St Edwards TSTS 2021
Inside the train cabin St Edwards TSTS 2021

Community Groups

If you are a community group and would like to work with us on an event or activity that engages people with their local station or enables people to overcome barriers to travelling by train, please get in touch.

Tracks and Trails Walks

 

A group of people, most with back-packs, gathered around a wooden carving of a monk, pose for a photo
A group of walkers pose for a picture in front of a grey stone mausoleum with a pyramidal roof. The sky above is blue
Fifteen walkers on a village green. The trees above are losing their leaves creating a carpet of autumn colours. The group are gathered around a stone waymarker for the North Downs Way national trail.
A group of walkers pose for a picture in front of an information board on the North Downs Way.
A group of walkers assembled outside Hollingbourne station
Ruth stretches out her arms in joy in a green field behind Harrietsham church
A group of walkers stand looking at a white chalk cross carved into a green hillside. Sky above is clear and blue.
Walkers in double file follow a dirt path across a field, they are heading towards camera

Diversity House

 

Vicky at the ticket office helping one of our Diversity House guests to ask questions about our journey
People sitting in a train carriage waving to camera
People wrapped up in warm layers, coats and hats on a chilly station platform. Vicky is talking to the group.
Travel training Diversity House 2022
Sittingbourne Station Diversity House 2022
Information point Diversity House 2022
Rochester Castle Grounds Diversity House 2022
Travel training

Guide Dogs

 

A large group of people and guide dogs posing for a group photo in front of the entrance to Maidstone East station.
A white cane user walks towards the station building, away from the nearby crowd of participants
Having purchased their ticket, a guide dog leads their user away from the ticket office window at the station
A guide dog leads their owner and an accompanying volunteer onto a train.
Two people seated on a bench on a railway platform. One is wearing a thick cream coloured coat, hat and scarf. There is a walking stick beside them. The other is wearing blue jeans, blouse and a padded yellow coat. In front of them is a golden coloured guide dog wearing an "on duty" reflective harness. Everyone is smiling.
Two people waving goodbye from the train as the doors close
Afternoon tea st out on tables as the Mayor of Maisdstone speaks to the audience of Guide Dogs volunteers, Southeastern managers and other guests
A sleepy looking guide dog lying on a station platform

4th Milton Regis (St Mary’s) Cubs

A group of excited cubs are being shown the bird boxes that they helped make. The bird boxes are in trees at the edge of a car park
A group of children in hi-vis jackets on the platform at Faversham station. They are looking at a train.
A group of children in hi-vis jackets on the platform at Faversham station. They are watching two trains being joined together
Cubs and cub leaders admiring their hard work planting new flowers into a wooden planter on the platform
Linda, cub leaders and clubs preparing to add new flowers and plants to a planter on the platform/
Vicky, Cub leaders, helpers and the Cubs stand on the platform behind a planter they have filled with flowers and bulbs

Hollingbourne Station Community Hub

Inside a derelict station building. Boarde up doors and windows, crumbling plaster, no ceiling, damaged flooring.
Inside a derelict station building. Boarded up and barred window and doors, peeling plaster on the walls
Hollingbourne Refurb 3
Afternoon tea st out on tables as the Mayor of Maisdstone speaks to the audience of Guide Dogs volunteers, Southeastern managers and other guests
A brick built station building with shuttered windows. The outsides of the closed shutters are green, the insides of the open shutters are white. A white painted wooden canopy extendsabove the green entrance doors. There are tables and chairs outside with vases of yellow daffodils. Colourful bunting is strung between the windows and under the canopy.
People seated and standing outside the entrance to Hollingbourne station

Murals and Artworks

A colourful mural featuring peope walking, wheeling and cycling, and a train. There are a variety of sustainability themes.
A colourful mural depicting flowers, the Trebor logo, the river Medway and town centre roads, a dinosaur and a bus.
A sunset view of boats moored in a harbour.
Community Artwork at Stations
Mural depicting Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway
Five Acre Wood Snodland Sunflower Mural
Members gathered in front of a community inspired mural at Strood station.
Colourfu mural depicting places that can be visited from Strood station. Canterbury Cathedral and Margate sea front

Station Adoption

Four people tending a flowerbed on a station platform
Planting in progress in the verge alongside a station platform.
A display of crocuses on a lawned area in front of Queenborough station
Gary and Dave in hi-vis weeding a planter on the station platform
A group of people standing by two rowing boats that are used as flowerbeds. In front are a variety of pieces of new gardening equipment being presented to the group.
A large wooden planter full of colourful flowers on the station platform at Cuxton

Hop Pickers’ Line
Heritage Group

A waymarking sign for the Hop Pickers Line Heritage Trail mounted adjacent to an information panel about the line.
Hop Pickers Line Heritage Trail information board Paddock Wood
Hop Pickers Rail Trail

Rail Safety Resources

Travel Safe Travel Smart Centre, Margate

Safety messages and downloadable teaching resources

An award-winning dedicated rail safety education facility managed by Network Rail and Southeastern in Margate railway station, featuring a full-scale railway platform, life-size train front, model railway and interactive games.

 

We facilitate trips for schools and groups, or you can book a visit direct with the centre.

 

Safety messages and downloadable teaching resources
Network Rail Resources
You v Train (Rail Safety Resources KS3/KS4)
Platform Rail Rail Safety Mythbuster (Video KS2)
Stay safe with Thomas (Thomas the Tank Engine Book)
Autism Friendly Guide To Travelling By Train
Arlo’s Adventures (Rail safety book)
Don’t Disrespect – Kent and Medway Violence Reduction Unit

Videos targeting harassment and violence against women and girls

Kent and Medway Violence Reduction Unit
Don't Disrespect

British Transport Police
Combatting Sexual Harassment on the Railway

Travel Planning

www.kentconnected.org
www.travelinesoutheast.org.uk
www.google.co.uk/maps

Train Travel

www.networkrail.co.uk
www.southeasternrailway.co.uk
www.nationalrail.co.uk
www.btp.police.uk

Bus Travel

www.arrivabus.co.uk


www.nu-venture.co.uk

Cycle Travel

www.cyclestreets.net
www.walkwheelcycletrust.org.uk
www.explorekent.org/cycling