What is a CRP
A community rail partnership is a partnership between Network Rail, train operating companies, local councils, other community organisations such as rail user groups, and other stakeholders such as local community/voluntary groups, charities and social enterprises. There are over 65 community rail partnerships throughout the country and these partnerships are part of a federation that is overseen by the Community Rail Network (CRN), an organisation that is sponsored by the Department for Transport. CRPs are supported by a host of volunteers who contribute around thousands of hours each year at their local station and community, bringing in about £3.4 million of extra value to the rail industry.
All CRPs work to deliver four key pillars of the Community Rail Development Strategy:
- Providing a voice for the community
- Promoting sustainable, healthy and accessible travel
- Bringing communities together and supporting diversity and inclusion
- Supporting social and economic development
What We Do
SELCRP aims to engage people with their railways, and to promote social inclusion & community cohesion, with a strong focus on arts related activities.
It was established in June 2019, growing out of the work of Bolton Station Community Development Partnership. The CRP aims to take a more strategic approach, to build on the successful work of the Bolton Station Community Development Partnership, particularly in the area of arts and social inclusion.
It is intended to spread the successful approach of the CDP to other locations including Wigan, Salford and Chorley.
Our projects cover a range of themes including:
- Active and Integrated Transport
- Community Arts
- Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Hate Crime Awareness
- Equality and Diversity
- Community Celebration
- Environmental Issues
- Social Enterprise
- Education
We receive support from a number of organisations including:
- Northern
- Network Rail
- Transport for Greater Manchester
- Community Rail Lancashire
- Bolton Community and Voluntary Services
- TransPennine Express
- CrossCountry
- Avanti West Coast
- Bolton Council
- Bolton at Home
- Bolton City of Sanctuary
- Bolton Hindu Forum
- Community Rail Network
- Horwich Town Council
SELCRP has a management committee which is wholly voluntary. Positions currently held include:
- Chair: Julie Levy
- Vice‐Chairs: Vernon Sidlow, Andy Barlow, Roy Chapman
- Treasurer: Richard Walker
- Honorary President: Prof Paul Salveson
We also have one full‐time member of staff:
- Community Rail Development Officer: Dr Steph Dermott
Where We Do It
Our CRP covers the following routes:
- Bolton to Preston
- Bolton to Wigan
- Bolton to Bromley Cross
- Bolton to Manchester (Victoria/Piccadilly)
Our area includes a total of 24 stations– 10 within Bolton MBC, and a further 14 in Lancashire, Wigan, Salford and Manchester. Some stations have very successful station adoption groups and the CRP aims to work with them but not act in any way to limit their independence; we want to apply the success of station adoption groups at Hindley, Westhoughton, Leyland and Adlington to stations that are not currently adopted.
