Avanti West Coast’s Feel Good Field Trips wins at Community Rail Awards

• Feel Good Field Trips triumphs in 'Involving Children and Young People' category at Community Rail Awards
• The initiative is designed to give school children learning experiences away from the classroom which are previously inaccessible to them.
• This month the scheme passed the 2,500 children milestone.

Avanti West Coast’s groundbreaking initiative Feel Good Field Trips has been honoured at this year’s Community Rail Awards.

The scheme won in the ‘Involving Children and Young People’ category at the awards, which celebrates the best community rail projects of the last 12 months.

Feel Good Field Trips, which is run in partnership Community Rail Lancashire, was launched in April 2022 and is designed to give up to 5,000 pupils aged between four and 18, the chance to travel by train for hands on learning and culturally diverse days out that may have previously been inaccessible for them.

So far over 100 planned excursions have taken place – from trips to Gladstone Pottery Museum in Stoke-on-Trent, to outdoor adventuring in the Lake District, and art workshops at The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry.

This month, the scheme passed the 2,500 children milestone when a class from a primary school in Crewe made the train journey to Liverpool to explore some of the city’s landmarks.

Speaking after the event in Swansea, Joanna Buckley, Community Manager at Avanti West Coast, said: “I am so proud to see this fantastic initiative recognised at the Community Rail Awards, amidst plenty of amazing schemes across rail.

“Feel Good Field Trips has made such a difference to school children across our network, and this award commends the great work that goes into each trip to make them a success.”

David Savage, from Community Rail Lancashire, and who leads Feel Good Field Trips said: “I am delighted that The Feel Good Field Trip initiative has been recognised with a significant accolade at this year’s Community Rail Awards.

“Receiving this award is a testament to the dedication of everyone involved in the Feel Good Field Trip initiative. I am immensely proud of the impact this project has had on the lives of thousands of young people. Central to its success has been the support of Avanti West Coast, whose generous funding has made these experiences possible.”

Jools Townsend, Chief Executive from the Community Rail Network, said: “Our Community Rail Awards give deserved recognition to community rail partnerships, groups and volunteers across Britain and now beyond. This year’s ceremony in Swansea saw 430 guests from across the community rail movement and transport sector celebrating community rail’s role building stronger, fairer, greener communities, served and connected by their railways and wider sustainable transport network.”

ENDS