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As part of Community Rail Network’s Community Rail Week, Southeast Communities Rail Partnership (SCRP) and Friends of Ore Station held a volunteer day on Monday, May 20, at the newly formed community garden at Ore Station, in Hastings

Volunteers from both GTR (Govia Thameslink Railkway, which local train operating company Southern are part of) and Network Rail, along with colleagues from SCRP, had the opportunity to help at the very beginning of the garden's creation. The land has been donated to Friends of Ore Station by Orbit Housing and it has taken many dedicated volunteer hours to reach this stage.

SCRP line officer Sara Grisewood and community gardener Suzanne Horgan, who set up Friends of Ore Station and who is leadiung the project, provided homemade cakes and ensured the day was fun and rewarding.

Kevin Boorman, chair of the Marshlink line CRP, said: "It was brilliant to see volunteers (including managers!) from GTR, Network Rail and SCRP literally working together to prepare the ground for the community garden at Ore station.

"It demonstrates how community rail works in partnership with local communities, promoting this year's Community Rail Week theme of 'More than a railway'. This was a great example of the rail industry coming together to build something which will benefit both Ore station users and the local community.

"I'm very grateful to Orbit Hoiusing for the land, to Suz and Sara for setting the day up, and to the GTR, Network Rail and SCRP volunteers who really put their backs into the work."

Ore Railway Station volunteers practice what they preach