Special train trips from Norwich to Lowestoft have taken place to help local young people and newly settled families discover the joys of the Broads National Park and the Suffolk Coast.
The Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership worked with the Henderson Trust, New Routes Integration, the Broads Authority’s National Lottery Heritage Funded project Water, Mills & Marshes, and Greater Anglia to host over 40 people on two train trips from Norwich.
On 2 August, a group of twelve young people supported by the Henderson Trust charity travelled to Oulton Broad and Lowestoft by train. As part of an exciting day out they visited the SWT Carlton Marshes Nature Reserve.
On 12 August, 31 people from New Routes Integration – a charity supporting refugees, asylum seekers and migrants through promoting cross-cultural integration and community awareness – took their first trip across the Broads National Park by train, stopping off at Oulton Broad North and visiting Nicholas Everitt Park before going on to Lowestoft.
They were welcomed at Lowestoft Parcels Office by the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership who provided refreshments and a free bucket and spade for every child.
The trips were designed to help people find out about how to use public transport and give them confidence to explore further afield.
Martin Halliday, Community Rail Development Officer, Community Rail Norfolk, said, “The Henderson Trust and New Routes Integration are doing amazing work to improve people’s lives and we were delighted to be able to work with them to help people feel more integrated and confident about exploring and travelling in Norfolk and Suffolk.”
“We are extremely grateful to Greater Anglia and the Broads Authority for supporting this event and working with us to bring rail to the heart of a community which can often feel quite isolated.”
Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Engagement Manager, Alan Neville, said, “We were pleased to support this vital work which is helping people to use public transport safely and with confidence and connecting them to new opportunities.”
Nick Sanderson, Education Officer for the Broads Authority said: “It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to bring young people and families to the Broads by train and to showcase some of the special qualities of this unique area. The rail journey is a definitely a magical part of the day.”
Sadhia Islam,Youth Projects Coordinator for New Routes Integration, said: “We are so grateful to Broads National Park and Greater Anglia for providing a unique experience for our participants and for the really warm welcome that was shown to us.”
Photo credit: New Routes Integration
