Please help us brighten our local, Swanwick Train Station – A small community project with big heart.

Hello,

We are Monika and Yvonne and we have recently adopted our local train station as part of a community initiative to help care for and improve this shared public space.

Since taking this on, we have been looking at ways to make the station feel less plain and more welcoming, cheerful and reflective of the lovely community around it. Our station is used every single day by commuters, school children, visitors, families and local residents. For many people, it is the first thing they see when arriving here and the last thing they see when leaving. At the moment, it is simply a place to wait for a train. But we truly believe it could become something much nicer, a small space that feels cared for, colourful and full of community spirit, especially with such rich history.

We would love to start transforming the station by adding:

• beautiful plants and flowers to brighten the platforms and entrance

• planters to create permanent displays of greenery

• picture frames in the waiting room to create a small gallery of local photographs, artwork and community history

These may seem like small touches, but together they can make a huge difference to how the station feels for everyone who passes through. A brighter station can lift people’s mood, create pride in our area and show that this is a community that cares.

Why we are asking for help now

There is a funding that will become available later through Southwestern Railway, which will help supporting this and future projects. However, as this is a brand-new initiative, accessing those funds may take time and we would really love to begin now instead of letting the idea sit on hold. We are hoping to raise enough money to get the first stage started sooner rather than later so that local people can begin to see the difference as soon as possible.

Our goal and what your donation will go towards

We are hoping to raise an initial £750 to help begin the transformation of the station. Every penny raised will go directly towards:

• seasonal plants and flowers

• indoor and outdoor planters

• compost and gardening supplies

• picture frames for a waiting room gallery

• basic display materials and decorative touches

Even the smallest donation can help, £5 can buy flowers, £10 can help towards a planter, and together those small acts of kindness will create something lovely for the whole community. Reaching this goal will mean we can begin making visible improvements straight away while waiting for future funding opportunities. This is a simple project, but one that can bring daily joy to so many people.

Why this matters

We took on the station adoption because we wanted to do something positive for our area. Our station is used by so many people, and together we can make it somewhere brighter, greener and more inspiring.

This fundraiser is about:

• creating a better experience for passengers every day

• improving pride in our local area

• bringing a sense of warmth and community into a public space

• showing that local people care about the places we all share

We would love for our station to become a place that people notice for the right reasons; not because it is dull and forgotten, but because it feels loved.

Please help me get this project off the ground

As the new station adopters, we are excited to help make a positive difference, but community projects work best when the community comes together. If you would like to be part of making our station greener, brighter and more welcoming, please consider donating today. Any donation, big or small, will make a genuine difference and we will be incredibly grateful. And if you cannot donate, please consider sharing this page with friends, neighbours and fellow rail users as it would mean the world. Let’s show what a caring community can do when we come together.

Thank you so much for reading and supporting this little community dream.

Monika and Yvonne