Swanage Railway Volunteers donate surplus wood to 'The Shed' in Swanage
Surplus off-cuts of wood at Swanage Railway will be used for community carpentry classes
Dedicated and caring volunteers who maintain the Swanage Railwayâs awardwinning heritage station at Harmanâs Cross â which has been built from nothing since the late 1980s – are donating surplus off-cuts of wood to a community group for use in its carpentry classes.
The National Lottery funded Durlston Pleasure Grounds project in Swanage supports âThe Shedâ â located at the Victorian Durlston Castle – which is an accessible centre for the local community enabling people of all ages and abilities to socialise, learn new skills and volunteer in supporting the Durlston Country Park and its acclaimed National Nature Reserve.
Swanage Railway volunteers are 'delighted' to be helping a 'worthwhile, positive and practical cause'
Bob Bunyar, the Swanage Railwayâs volunteer manager at Harmanâs Cross station, said: âThroughout the year, we word hard to maintain the wooden heritage buildings at Harmanâs Cross, as well as wooden fencing, so there are always off-cuts of wood that previously would have been burnt.
âWe are delighted that our off-cuts of wood are not wasted and are instead being donated to âThe Shedâ at Durlston Country Park to help with its community carpentry classes and activities which is a very worthwhile, positive and practical cause. âItâs very pleasing to know that we are able to help another voluntary group in the Isle of Purbeck after the suggestion to donate our surplus off-cuts of wood from my wife Suzanne when I told her we had to clear out a timber store at Harmanâs Cross station,â added Bob who has been a dedicated Swanage Railway volunteer for more than 30 years and lives in Swanage.
The son of Harmanâs Cross station volunteers Terry and Judy Tovey is a regular user of âThe Shedâ where he puts his wood working skills to good use in making items – such as bird feeders, bug houses, key tags and other wooden gifts – for sale in the Durlston Castle shop and at various fairs, including the Swanage Christmas Market in December.
Terry and Judyâs son also occasionally helps his parents with maintaining the gardens at Harmanâs Cross station which regularly draw admiring praise from train passengers.Â
Swanage Railway Trust chair Frank Roberts said: “As a resident of Swanage for 40 years, I have always endeavoured to support the wider community in the Isle of Purbeck so I am delighted that this new initiative has proved to be of mutual benefit to our dedicated volunteers at Harmanâs Cross station and at Durlston.
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New volunteers welcome at Harman's Cross
“These are difficult times for many people and organisations so the Swanage Railway will continue to support recycling moves to help other local groups,” added Frank who lives in Swanage and has been a dedicated Swanage Railway volunteer for 40 years.
Most people think Harmanâs Cross station has been in existence since the Wareham to Corfe Castle and Swanage branch line was built in the 1880s but it only started to be built by dedicated volunteers in the late 1980s when the Swanage Railwayâs relaid tracks arrived at Harmanâs Cross.
Bob Bunyar explained: âMaintaining Harmanâs Cross station is like the Forth Bridge in Scotland, there is always painting and maintenance work to do. Itâs a continual effort by our dedicated and good humoured team of volunteers to keep the station looking good and we always start out day with a cup of tea!
âThe station gardens are also a big asset and last year we were awarded a Silver Gilt in the Community Rail Gardens Competition which covers railway stations in the south west of England – from Cornwall through to Hampshire – and we were also awarded a Royal Horticultural Society award for the management of our gardens.
âWe have projects to do now the main peak heritage train operating season is over and new signage is being made for the station booking office, waiting room and platform numbers. A recent job was the renovation of our station lights where the metal work had rusted on five lamp heads and needed replacing,â added Bob who lives in Swanage.
The friendly Harmanâs Cross station team always welcome new volunteers and meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10am until 2pm. Anyone interested is welcome to visit the station on those days to have a look and enjoy a chat.
New volunteers are welcome across the Swanage Railway and anyone interested in finding out more should contact the volunteer recruitment and retention officer Lisa Gravett
Tel: 01929 475212
or email iwanttovolunteer@swanagerailway.co.uk.
Details about volunteering can be found at swanagerailwaytrust.org/volunteering.
