Northern Rail is pressing ahead with its Community Ambassador Scheme. A recent meeting of the Steering Group agreed a funding package and the East Lancashire Community Rail Partnership has been successful in its bid to the Designated Line Community Rail Development Fund for its share of contributions.

The Community Ambassador Scheme stems from a similar project initiated by the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and outlined at the ‘Working with Diverse Groups’ conference organised by the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) in May 2008. DLR’s parent company were keen to roll out the project and looked to Dr. Paul Salveson, then with Northern Rail, to come up with a proposal to try it in the North of England.

The proposal was to have a 12 month pilot scheme targeting five stations on the west side of Northern Rail’s empire. The stations chosen were Lockwood, Rochdale, Hyde, Blackburn and Brierfield and the plan is to recruit the Community Ambassadors from the target communities and they will be employed by Northern Rail.

The Community Ambassadors role will be to engage with the local community to identify the barriers that prevent people from using the rail network – in effect taking the railway ‘out’ to the community rather than expecting people to come ‘in’ to the railway.  They will develop a high profile in their communities through attending community events such as parent and toddler groups, coffee mornings etc and by visiting health centres, community centres, schools, pubs and other places where people meet.

Having made contact with local people, the Community Ambassadors will show them how to find out about train times & fares; show them how to get to the station, purchase a ticket and then take them on a train ride.  In turn the new ‘converts’ will hopefully spread the message to their friends and relations who will equally then be encouraged to try the train. At the same time the Ambassadors will undertake audits of key routes from the local area to the station to identify any physical barriers or where improved signage or lighting might help people feel more secure.

The two target areas in East Lancashire are Blackburn (Bastwell & Little Harwood), where the Clitheroe Line and East Lancs CRPs already work closely with Daisyfield School which has strong links with the predominantly second generation Asian population. Brierfield, towards the eastern end of the Preston to Colne line, is a small market town with a history of cotton production with the huge Tunstill’s Mill building towering over the station. Now disused, the mill built by Henry Tunstill once housed 2000 looms with 87000 spindles. The population in Brierfield has a strong Muslim background and it is this area where we would see the Ambassador working the hardest.

Northern Rail has appointed a Project Manager in the shape of Eddie Fisher, a local conductor based at Blackpool North, who has been seconded on a 12 month contract. Northern Rail are looking to advertise, interview and appoint the Community Ambassadors during July with a start to the project proper in August.

The Designated Line Community Rail Development Fund is supported by the Department for Transport, Network Rail and ACoRP.