Using CrossCountry’s community engagement fund, North Staffs Community Rail Partnership worked with local young people to make Derby’s Peartree railway station more inviting for people and nature.
The aim was to improve the customer experience for station users while also creating a small space for nature in an urban environment. Children from St Martin’s Secondary School and local Scout group 125th Derby Littleover restored a bug hotel and repainted several birdhouses to make the station more vibrant and welcoming.
Scouts were able to achieve their ‘Platforms for Change’ badge by taking part, and the hope is that the young people involved will feel a sense of achievement and ownership.
While it may be a little early to measure the full impact on local wildlife, all those involved are excited to see how nature responds.