A team of volunteers and paid workers who have reopened a 17-mile rail line have won a community award.
The Wensleydale Railway will be presented with the Duke of York's Community Initiative Award on Easter Sunday, 16 April 2006 at 14.00.
The award, which is given for three years, will be announced to members and rail passengers by Wensleydale Railway Association chairman Keith Cameron at Leeming Bar station on Easter Sunday.
Mr Cameron and his family will travel to Leeming Bar from Redmire (11.35 departure) and have lunch in the buffet coach at Leeming Bar station before the 14.00 ceremony and departure on the 14.35 train.
The main purpose of the Duke of York’s Community Initiative is to recognise work being done in communities of all kinds in Yorkshire and, in so doing, to encourage others to become involved in the processes of support and regeneration.
To win an award, schemes have to be led by the community they serve, have had significant impact on the people in the neighbourhood and show how they have improved quality of life.
The Initiative is run by the trustees of the York-based St. William’s Foundation, a charity supported by the Lord Lieutenants of West, North, East and South Yorkshire. The Initiative is also supported by local authorities and businesses in the region.
The WRA was established in 1990, with local roots. The bank manager in Hawes was the first treasurer and the Upper Wensleydale electoral registration officer was membership secretary, both of whom still live in the area.
In the 16 years since, the WRA has also set up the Wensleydale Railway Trust (a registered charity) and Wensleydale Railway plc, the company that leases the 22 mile branch line from Network Rail, reopened five stations and has operated trains over a 17 mile route since July 2003.
The WRA also provides 300 working volunteers, who work alongside a small team of seven paid railway staff.
Volunteers deal with infrastructure work (often working in tandem with specialist contractors), also volunteering for track patrols, rolling stock restoration, retailing, catering, events, publicity, gardening and painting.
The WRA has active branches in York/Knaresborough, Northallerton, London and Wensleydale. The Leyburn branch is currently busy organising the 150 anniversary of the opening of Leyburn station on May 19, 1856.
The Northallerton branch has embarked on an ambitious fund-raising programme to help pay for the re-connection of passenger services – lost half a century ago – from the Wensleydale line into Northallerton station.
Last month volunteers set up a specialist group to promote walks from stations on the line and thus help to increase passenger number and access to the countryside without using cars.
A quarterly magazine, Relay, is sent to WRA members all over the country, many of whom are also shareholders in the railway company.
Members run the two websites:
www.WensleydaleRailwayAssociation.com
www.wensleydalerailway.com for the route and timetables.
Other volunteers give talks about the railway, run the shops at staffed stations and the newspaper kiosk at Northallerton station – or take stands to outdoor events such as the Dales Food and Drink Festival in Leyburn (April 29, 30 and May 1) and the Great Yorkshire Show (July).
One third of the 3,500 WRA members live in the vicinity of the line; one third in the North of England generally (mainly Yorkshire) and one third elsewhere in the UK or abroad.
This has been a consistent pattern over the years. Since 1990, there have been three chairman of the WRA: John Piper, the founding chairman, then a county councillor and vice-chairman of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, who was followed by journalist Stan Abbott.
The current chairman is Keith Cameron, who will be at Leeming Bar to make the announcement on Sunday.
WRA Secretary Ruth Annison said: “Members are the lifeblood of the association, through which they volunteer the practical help and support that has led to this award.
"Past and present members can take satisfaction from this external recognition of their contribution and we are all grateful for the skilled leadership shown by Keith and his predecessors as chairmen. New WRA members are very welcome and there are also many opportunities for volunteering.”
Trains run daily over Easter, from April 7-23. Leeming Bar station is half a mile from the A1 near Bedale.. Timetable details from Leyburn tourist information centre: Tel 01969 623069
Information from WRA.