IT HAS long been a familiar sight to regular users of Huddersfield Railway Station.
A railway carriage stationed at a quiet end of a platform beyond the Head of Steam pub and home for many years to children from the nearby National Children’s Centre who used it as a playtrain.
In recent times, the carriage has no longer been used by younger children and it looked likely that it was heading for the scrapheap. But that was until a new generation of young people connected to the Centre found a use for the space that it offered.
With the help of local business, Britannia Rescue and its parent company Folly Hall-based LV=, youngsters from the New Beginnings project have refurbished the carriage and will use it as a classroom and cooking area.
New Beginnings is well named in that it offers teenagers a chance to learn valuable life skills and to get involved in projects such as the creation of a sensory garden beside the railway station platforms.
Their dedication to that project and their commitment to this latest venture shows that from New Beginnings, many powerful things are growing.
These young people are proving to be resilient, hard-working and deserving of our support. Let’s hope the railway carriage provides them with as many productive and enjoyable years as it did in its previous life as a playtrain.
