The Friends of the Shakespeare Line are proudly celebrating the national recognition of an innovative renovation and repurposing of a derelict railway station building in Warwickshire. The achievement is a testament to the power of community and volunteerism.
The Friends of Henley Railway Station (FHRS) has received a Highly Commended award from the Railway Heritage Trust in its 2024 National Railway Heritage Awards. This award, which is a significant recognition in the railway restoration Community, was given to the Friends of Henley Railway station at a ceremony in London at the Merchant Taylors Hall on Wednesday, 4 December 2024.
The Friends of the Shakespeare Line (FoSL) was formed in 2020 by the local Rail User Group, the Shakespeare Line Rail User Group, to reconnect people with the railway line that served their communities. It has led to over 80 volunteers coming forward to look after and enhance the 18 railway stations between Birmingham and Stratford upon Avon, of which Henley in Arden is one.
The Friends of the Shakespeare Line (FoSL) first identified the potential of Henley in Arden in 2021. Over several months, they engaged with Henley in Arden's Parish Council, and their efforts bore fruit when a local resident, Angela Okey, stepped forward with a determination to galvanise the community and transform the town's then languishing railway station. FOSL say that the project is a true reflection of the power of community spirit and collective action.
Earlier this year, in February, "The Station at Henley in Arden", as it is now known, was reopened as a community venue that hosts a bar and is available for corporate and community events. The Station operates as a Community Interest Company, which means that any surplus made in its operation is given back to the community at Henley in Arden, with some also being distributed to other communities along the railway route between Birmingham and Stratford upon Avon, which is known as 'the Shakespeare Line’.
While Henley in Arden is on part of the national rail network, its original GWR station building was closed in 1992 and was boarded and bricked up. Over the following thirty years, the building fell into significant dereliction. In 2021, the community at Henley in Arden stepped forward to change that and Friends of Henley Station CIC was formed. Network Rail, who own the building, worked with the community and entered a 25-year community lease with FHRS.
Its vision was to reopen the building by restoring it as much as was practically possible to its original GWR condition while repurposing the building to ensure its long-term sustainability, the latter point being the primary purpose and driver of the scheme.
After receiving the award, Angela Okey said, "After all the hard work of the past 5 years, it was great to receive national recognition for our project. Only this week, we have distributed £15k amongst nine local community groups. The satisfaction of being able to do this, especially given that we have still not reached 12 months of trading, is incredible. The project has surpassed our expectations, and our team loves seeing our regulars and new customers experiencing our unique proposition. We aim to continue offering unique events and community fundraising evenings to benefit our local town and surrounding villages”.
The Chair of Friends of the Shakespeare Line, Fraser Pithie, added, "So many great things have been done by over 80 volunteers from their respective communities to enhance their railway stations and make "The Shakespeare Line" a pleasure to take a journey on. Henley in Arden is the 'Jewel in the Crown' of the line with what has been achieved by Angela and all the volunteers and community of Henley in Arden. The Station is vibrant, busy and extremely popular with visitors and locals alike. The restoration and repurposing at Henley in Arden and all those involved show what ordinary people can do and what a community can achieve when they put their minds to it. It's brilliant news for Henley in Arden and well-deserved recognition".
See and hear the background and experience of transforming Henley in Arden's previously derelict original GWR station building.
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