Volunteers Transform Neglected Rail Station Gardens Into Welcoming Area
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in the Westmoreland Gazette.
In my travels I come across many stations, where volunteers make a difference.
Kents Bank station can be added to that list.
Many more stations need volunteers to do some community gardening and other work.
The Anonymous Widower 
I agree – I recruited and managed volunteers and volunteer projects all my life. The problem with tasks such a looking after the station garden is the concern that the work should really be carried out by a person employed to do it rather than volunteers. Have recruited volunteers into the health service, I have a great deal of sympathy with the trades unions over this. Some wards and departments wanted to replace paid posts with volunteers. There was no way I was going to have any involvement in, for instance, a clerical post being reduced to mornings only and volunteers coming instead the rest of the time. Hence having volunteers do things needs paper thought.
Last Sunday Neil and I went to the theatre, there were lots of lovely friendly people taking coats, looking after mobility scooters, helping people to their seats etc. I commented on this, and was surprised to find that the theatre was some sort of charitable trust, and all the staff helping public were volunteers. And I am pretty sure the reason for their enthusiasm is because they are volunteers, working a few hours a week, or even a few hours a month. But it couldn’t happen in a privately own for-profit theatre, because they would be taking jobs which should be carried to by employed staff.
Comment by Liz P | April 25, 2018 |
There are a lot of volunteer gardeners around here. I have a feeling that many live in flats or houses without gardens.
At Hackney Downs station, there’s even apple trees in planters.
Comment by AnonW | April 25, 2018 |