The Partnership, which works to promote and develop the North Staffordshire Line, the local rail service that serves communities from Crewe to Derby, has given a grant of £200 to Alsager station ‘Friends’ for more plants for the station gardens.

The Station Friends, all volunteers from the town, who have transformed the station gardens during recent years, wanted to provide additional interest of more seasonal colour in the gardens throughout the year. The Partnership’s grant has funded the purchase of 30 new flowering shrubs, specially chosen by the volunteers, all of whom are keen gardeners. Varieties include berberis, flowering current, mahonia and shrub roses.

The volunteers got together with the Partnership for a special planting-in session on Tuesday 17 April (10:00 hours). Supported by East Midlands Trains’ staff, the activity will also be combined with a general spring clean of the station.

Faye Lambert, Project Officer for the NSCRP, said: “We have a brilliant team of volunteers whose work has dramatically improved station gardens all along the route. We support their hard work all we can by funding many projects such as this.

“Alsager is an award-winning station thanks to the work of the station Friends and these new plants will help them to further improve the environment of the station for the growing number of passengers.”

The Partnership is also making a donation to Kidsgrove station volunteers for more plants to help fill the many garden beds at this large station; it has also funded additional planters for Tutbury & Hatton station, and is currently working with all the volunteer groups to roll out displays of red, white and blue summer planting at North Staffordshire Line stations in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 London Olympics.