On Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 January 2026 South East Lancashire CRP’s Community Rail Officer Emily Oldfield travelled to Birmingham for Community Rail Network’s (CRN) New Officer event.
The two days involved an evening of networking, followed by a daytime session of learning, looking at outcomes and sharing ideas, hosted by Alex Peel (Training and development coordinator, CRN) and Paul Webster (Region’s support manager, CRN).
The networking evening was held at Birmingham’s Bar and Block restaurant and was a valuable opportunity for Emily to meet other Officers who have been in post less than a year. It was well-attended by Officers from across the country and interesting to hear the range of projects they were involved with, highlighting the breadth of Community Rail.
The following day was hosted in the impressive Millenium Point building, close to Moor Street and New Street Stations (one of the featured images is of the ‘bug hotels’ at Birmingham New Street Station). Topics covered included some railway history, the story of Community Rail so far and considering the difference that can be made via Community Rail Outcomes. It was an interactive session, with opportunities to ask plenty of questions, share best practice and connect – a positive experience which will inform Emily’s work going forward.
