Hednesford Community Hub
COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY
Heart of Hednesford is a Community Interest Company (CiC).
This is a special form of ‘limited company’ which exists primarily to benefit a community with a view to pursuing a social purpose rather than making profit for shareholders and the social purpose here is to enhance the town, provide a facility for local people and upgrade and safeguard the railway station.
PROJECT
The unique project designed over the course of a decade is to restore a British Rail carriage and coal wagon to be sited on a section of track located alongside Hednesford town centre Anglesey Street Car Park.
The volunteer led scheme was designed by the Heart of Hednesford in partnership with West Midlands Railway and approved in 2020 with ‘Customer and Community Improvement Funding’ (CCIF) awarded in 2021.
We have budget to celebrate the local industrial heritage and install a modernised vintage railway carriage on unused land adjacent to Hednesford railway station, creating a local community hub.
The community hub and gardens will have accessible facilities and also include Incredible Edible planting which will be available to local people.
The creation of this visitor attraction for the town in a renovated and accessible railway carriage will also function as community space for town residents and rail users, providing accommodation for community groups, book clubs, social events and local gatherings.
Progress
The past three years have been spent in developing plans and securing approvals for the installation of Hednesford Community Hub & Café, based in the restored vintage train carriage and set in gardens alongside the station.
The purchase of a BR Mk2FTSO carriage and a 7-plank coal wagon from Vintage Trains at Tyseley has been completed and full refurbishment and installation is estimated to be ready to launch in early 2026.
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Network Rail are in the process of completing the lease on the land and an Asset Protection Agreement has been agreed with work underway to carry out local planning processes and the engagement of contractors to carry out land clearance, carriage installation and creation of the station gardens.
The tireless work by volunteers over the past years is set to bring a stunning feature to the station, a sense of security for passengers, a much-needed community facility for the town and a legacy that will enrich and enhance the market town of Hednesford.
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Image shows a Visualisation of proposed community garden.