Friends of Goostrey Station (FOGS) is a group of volunteers who aim to improve Goostrey railway station.
Local MP Fiona Bruce commented : this is ‘a real model of constructive joint working on the part of local residents of which this community can be rightly proud’.
The achievements of FOGS since it formed in 2012 include:
- work on the second Sunday of each month when platforms, paths and steps are swept, tubs of plants on the platforms are maintained and the planted areas around the station are improved
- opportunities for young people to work towards Beaver, Cub and Rainbow badges and the Duke of Edinburgh Award
- the creation of a pleasant seating area on the Manchester platform by introducing tubs of flowering plants and mounting an old station oil lamp and the keystone of the old road bridge
- regular exhibitions of artwork by pupils from Goostrey Community Primary School in a platform shelter
- negotiations which resulted in the repair of a platform shelter; improvements to the car park entrance; reconnection of the water supply; the installation of a cycle rack and display cabinets; plus the restoration of the Victorian modular, wooden building and its conversion to Goostrey Art Studio
- use of a GIS system to monitor the effect on biodiversity of new bird boxes and bug hotels
- a gold award from Wild About Goostrey in 2019
- success in the annual Cheshire Best Kept Station competition – 2014 most improved station; 2016 Network Rail Award for Arts Projects; 2017 Youth Challenge Award; 2018 Diversity Award; 2019 Campaigns Award; and 2020 Special Award
- 10 shortlistings from the national Community Rail Awards; 2019 first place for a photo capturing the essence of Community Rail; 2019 and 2020 gold awards for the It’s Your Station category; 2022 first place for the Most Enhanced Railway Space and an award for our Outstanding Contribution to Community Rail