CHILDREN from four schools in the south of the county have been helping transform Worcestershire Parkway Station through a new eco project.
New biodiversity and community-focused features have been installed as part of the ongoing Worcestershire Parkway Eco Area Project, led by the Bee Friendly Trust in partnership with the Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership (WCRP).
The latest phase of the project has introduced a series of creative and environmentally-focused improvements to help transform the station into a welcoming community space.
New installations include four handcrafted wooden benches featuring etched wildlife artwork and etchings and drawings along the station footbridges. There is also a new finger sign and interpretation noticeboards providing information about the site, local biodiversity, and the wider project vision.
Pupils from Norton Juxta Kempsey CE Primary School, Honeybourne Primary School, Himbleton CE Primary School, and St Barnabas CE First and Middle School played an important role in shaping the station’s new look.
The children created artwork now featured throughout the site, helping to ensure the station reflects the creativity, identity, and environmental awareness of the local community. The co-created designs are playing an important role in making the station feel more engaging, accessible and family-friendly.
The project was made possible thanks to funding from the Community Rail Network and train operators Great Western Railway and CrossCountry.
Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership has worked closely with Bee Friendly Trust to help deliver the scheme and Worcestershire County Council has enabled and supported the project.
Worcestershire Parkway – set within a unique floodplain landscape – already features pollinator-friendly planting and meadow areas installed by the Bee Friendly Trust.
The wider ambition of the Eco Area Project is to build on this by creating a destination that connects rail travel with nature, wellbeing, education and community use.
By involving local schools, artists, volunteers, and community partners, the project aims to foster long-term pride and stewardship of the station’s surrounding area, encouraging more people to engage with sustainable travel and local biodiversity.
The improvements also help strengthen Worcestershire Parkway’s identity as more than a transport interchange, developing it into a community hub and destination in its own right.
Tom Painter, chair of the Worcestershire Community Rail Partnership, said: “This project is about creating a stronger connection between the station, the local environment, and the community. “We want Worcestershire Parkway to be a place people enjoy spending time in – whether that’s learning about biodiversity, taking part in community activities, or simply enjoying the green spaces around the station.”
Emma Pritchard, from Bee Friendly Trust, added Worcestershire Parkway was much more than a station, offering the opportunity to engage with a vital and diverse habitat, abundant in wildlife, including birds, bees, butterflies and 13 species of bat.
“Each phase of this project aims to work in harmony with the space, supporting existing biodiversity and showcasing the proven wellbeing benefits to be had from connecting with nature and the wider community.”
More features and activities are planned in future phases.
