ScotRail, thanks to its ongoing Adopt-a-Station volunteering programme, has been awarded the prestigious Investing in Volunteers accreditation.
The Investing in Volunteers (IiV) accreditation, awarded to ScotRail by Volunteer Scotland, is the UK quality standard for good practice in volunteer management, and recognises the contribution made by volunteers.
Over 250 stations and more than 1,000 volunteers across the country are now in ScotRail’s Adopt-a-Station volunteering programme. From Dyce to Dalry, volunteer groups work to improve the physical environment of their local station which includes activities such as installing planters, station gardens, information boards and much more.
Volunteer groups who have adopted stations are as varied and unique as the stations they adopt, and include individual volunteers, local community groups, charities, schools, businesses and local organisations such as the NHS.
The Dalry Station Gardeners Group (DSGG) have been station adopters for almost 10 years, and continually strive to improve the station environment by creating an oasis for nature to thrive.
With funding from the ScotRail Biodiversity Fun, the DSGG installed bug, bird and bat boxes as well as bug hotels, wildflower habitats and bee friendly planting.
Six wall murals have also been installed by artist, Leo du Feu, depicting ‘Nature of Dalry’ – a project funded by the ScotRail Cultural and Arts Fund.
The Dyce Gardening Club / Dyce in Bloom have involved the wider community in their activities for more than a decade, which included nursery children assisting with bio-diversity planting.
Redundant planters were donated by Aberdeen City Council, which the volunteers immediately set about recycling and installing at the station. The group have engaged with the local Men’s Shed, and pupils from Dyce Academy designed art deco posters to be installed at station in recent years.
Tracy Stevenson, ScotRail community development executive, said: “Everyone at ScotRail is incredibly proud to have received the Investing in Volunteers award.
“The railway is more than just running trains; we work closely with the communities we serve and provide those communities with our full commitment and support, and our Adopt-a-Station volunteering programme is a perfect example of that.
“The Investing in Volunteers accreditation is now a public commitment to our volunteers that we will continue to support them with high-quality volunteer management, providing a framework for the programme flourish in the years to come.”
Katy Penman, volunteer practice manager for Volunteer Scotland, said: “I am pleased to congratulate ScotRail on their achievement of the Investing in Volunteers award for the first time. Achieving this award acknowledges their commitment to their volunteers by reflecting on, improving, and developing the Adopt-a-Station programme.
“ScotRail has demonstrated this through evidencing the good practice they carry out in relation to volunteer management, meeting all six indicators, and 31 practices within the Investing in Volunteers quality standard.
“Throughout the process, ScotRail was given feedback on how to continue to develop and improve their practice, recognising the resilience they built into their volunteer programme during the pandemic.
“We look forward to a continued relationship with ScotRail, their volunteers, and employees as they work towards this over the next three years.”
