Current Projects
The group has a number of ongoing projects, some one-off’s and some repetitive. Current Projects include :
- Bi-Annual Planting (Summer / Winter Plant Change Over) see Gardening Group
- July 2025 – We would like to acknowledge the funding received from Northern Rail which allowed us to deploy a new planter at the entrance to the station and thanks to Jim Milner for the donation of the Sowerby Bridge Totem. This makes a big difference to the first impression on visiting the station from Station Road.
- June 2025 – We would like to acknowledge the funding received from the Community Rail Network and Department of Transport which has allowed us to mount a new Cast Bronze Memorial plaque commemorating 2 local Railwaymen of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Company who sacrificed their lives in the Great War 1914-1918 who were identified following further research after the initial plaque was erected in 2018. The funding has also allowed us to have the existing plaque cleaned to undo the weathering of 7 years. This was achieved by contracting a professional firm Farmers Bronze Restoration with the funding received from the Community Rail Network and Department of Transport.
- May 2025 – Thanks to one of our volunteers the station has been decorated to celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
- April 2025 – Thanks to a grant from Culturedale, we have managed to erect another 5 Information Boards to ensure passengers are not bored whilst awaiting their train, the group has also produced a book containing all the 45 boards mounted at the station along with 39 that haven’t been seen. For more information see Sales.
- Also in April 2025, thanks to a grant from Northern in respect of Bradford City of Culture 2025 we have managed to replace another 2 of our aging wooden barrels with recycled ones.
- Also sadly we have had to add a plaque to our Memorial Bench in the Brontë Garden to honour John hartley who was the groups Sponsorship Secretary and Historian who sadly passed away suddenly in December 2024.
- May 2023 – The group has started the refurbishment of our wooden planters which are available to sponsor (see Sponsorship) either by replacing then them with recycled plastic ones (adding to our aims of sustainability) and by repainting those that are still serviceable.
- 30/04/23 The group raised the Union Jack and decorated the Station with bunting to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles
- 21/10/22 Thanks to Lucy Zodion for providing a second Water Butt to help water the plants
- 04/08/22 Repainting of the groups storage container
- 31/05/22 The group raised the Union Jack and decorated the Station with bunting to celebrate the Queens Platinum Jubilee
- 30/05/22 Enhancement of the path in the Brontë Garden
The group has also completed the re-varnishing of the benches in the Brontë Garden and a makeover of Mavis the Train Planter
Previous Projects include
Station Information Boards
The Friends of Sowerby Bridge Railway Station have researched and produced information boards on people and events that have connections with Sowerby Bridge. These are displayed on the Leeds platform, the Manchester platform and in the Brontë Garden. Hopefully station users will find them of interest whilst they wait for their trains.