Post date: Feb 08, 2013 5:30:55 PM

17 September 2012

Friends of Heaton Chapel Station (FofHCS) are sending a delegation to this year's Community Rail Awards Ceremony in Swindon, hoping to secure a number of awards that this group has been nominated for. These are in recognition of its efforts and achievements since the group was established in August 2011.

Bob Barlow of Agito and a Friend of Heaton Chapel Station is joining the delegation of Friends from Stockport at this prestigous annual event, which features high in the Rail Calendar, and is now in its eighth year.

The ACoRP Community Rail Awards were established so that the unsung heroes and heroines of the community rail world would have their hard work and dedication publicly recognised and rewarded. It is sponsored by key players in the railway industry including Northern, the owners and managers of Heaton Chapel Station.

Aside from being affiliated to FofHCS, Agito is one of 16 businesses from the Four Heatons Area of Stockport who recently joined forces to co-sponsor a major community art project which takes pride and place on the Manchester-bound platform of Heaton Chapel Station, which lies on the West Coast Main Line between Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly stations.

The artwork, which was unveiled in a hail of publicity in May this year, was specially themed with the 2012 Olympics. It features a "Running Man" but also celebrates the wealth of local history that exists in and around the Four Heatons area of Stockport, which comprises of the districts of Heaton Chapel, Heaton Moor, Heaton Norris and Heaton Mersey.

The artwork was devised and developed by Karen Allerton, who is an established and locally based commmunity artist, with help and inputs of pupils from schools in the Four Heatons area.

FofHCS have been nominated for a number of award categories related to work successfully delivered at the station, as well as awards for the efforts of nominated people who have gone that extra mile.

Spokesperson for FofHCS Rory Alkin said, "To be nominated for more than one award category is fantastic, considering that as a group we have only been in existence since August 2011. "As this is an established national event, involving hundreds of similar community rail groups across the UK, the competition for awards is fierce." However, Rory added, "We believe that we have submitted quality nominations that clearly demonstrate as a group we have have hit on a successful formula - one that is able to foster the development and improvement of an important transport facility, which lies in the heart of the community, and embraces what the community rail movement stands for."

From right to left: Bob Barlow, who will be attending the Awards Ceremony, and Nigel Roberts

of Agito Transport Planning standing next the Agito

sponsored panel of the artwork that was unveiled on

Heaton Chapel Station on 28 May 2012