COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GRANTS

The Heart of Wessex Line is a vital lifeline for many communities between Bristol and Weymouth, and a very important part of the partnership’s work is undertaken by voluntary groups and individuals in towns and villages along the line. These people understand that the most effective way to campaign for improvements to services is to demonstrate both continued growth in passenger numbers, and strong community support for local stations.

Some choose to participate in our Community Rail Working Party, meeting quarterly to discuss issues relating to stations, services and customer information. First Great Western's Business Manager attends these meetings, and the company has responded very positively to many of our requests and ideas for improvements.

The Friends of Freshford and the Parish Council welcome Heart of Wessex volunteers and community representatives to their lovely station gardens.

Community representatives help by distributing literature to village stores and pubs, or to members of their groups; establish and maintain gardens at stations; participate in our Station Watch scheme or promote the rail line and local businesses with their own notice boards, guides or events.

Our LOCAL GRANTS SCHEME can help to fund voluntary initiatives that meet the overall objectives of the partnership. If you have a project relating to the rail line or its stations that you would like to initiate and carry out yourselves, but need help with funding, have a look at our simple application form. Download Local Grants Scheme application.