Praise for group which puts railways at heart of communities in South East

Accreditation is formal recognition by the DfT that a community rail partnership (CRP) operates to a high standard and that its objectives and activities are supported by Government. Accreditation provides assurance to others, including potential funders and partners, that the CRP operates to high standards of governance and financial propriety; adopts a collaborative approach; is worthy of trust by others; and is a suitable entity for receiving public funds. The Government also considers accredited rail partnerships to be good representatives of the local community.

Tim Barkley, chair of Southeast Communities Rail Partnership, said: “We are delighted to receive this official recognition by the Department for Transport of the work we are doing to put railways at the heart of our communities. With our staff, funders, partners and supporters, we will continue to connect people, places and opportunities on our Community Rail lines.”

Southeast Communities Rail Partnership has nine Community Rail lines across East and West Sussex as well as parts of Surrey, Kent and Berkshire. It works with five train operators, Network Rail, local authorities, community representatives and dedicated volunteers at 112 stations on its lines.

It is part of the wider Community Rail Network whichis the umbrella body for more than 75 community rail partnerships and 1,200 station adoption groups working across Britain. Its vision is to create a flourishing community rail movement connecting people and their railways, contributing to inclusive, empowered, sustainable and healthy communities.

More details about the work of Southeast CRP at www.southeastcrp.org