Garden Volunteer

The Friends of Rayleigh Station (FoRS) volunteers 'adopted' Rayleigh station in 2020. We are just one of hundreds of adopter groups who tend to stations across the Greater Anglia rail network, as well as 100’s more across the country. FoRS is made up of people who live locally and all have each differing levels of gardening skill. We have a common wish to make the station and gardens a welcoming and pleasant space to visit. The group has gradually increased the areas it tends to around the station. We care for the flower tubs and raised beds on the platforms and outside the station entrance. In 2021 the group were invited to take-over a derelict plot of land adjacent to the main entrance to the station. By 2022 we had transformed the plot into a new community open space garden, which was funded through donations from various sources. In 2023, we added a new entrance to the garden to allow passengers waiting for buses to enjoy the community garden. In 2024, we created a new garden along a portion of the Southend platform.

The gardens have proved to be extremely popular with the Rayleigh community, used by a mixture of rail, bus passengers and people just wanting to sit and enjoy the flowers. We constantly receive very positive comments from the public, the volunteers really enjoy chatting to passers by. It gives us all a tremendous boost to know that our work is appreciated so much.

We currently have 5 volunteers and we meet every Tuesday morning from around 0830. On this day we carry out weeding, pruning,  planting and general maintenance of the gardens and plant displays. Depending on the workload, we also attend the station on other days. During summer months, the volunteers are also encouraged to join the daily rota for watering plants.  

We are a very friendly group of people who enjoy general gardening, being out in the open space, working as part of a team and conversing with the public. Volunteering at the station gardens is a very rewarding role.

Due to the increased spaces we tend to, we are now looking for two more volunteers to join the group to help with the continued transformation and upkeep of the gardens.

Skills

• General gardening knowledge not essential but would be helpful
• Be friendly and comfortable talking with people
• Ability to work on own and as part of a team
• Enjoy working outside
• Awareness of health and safety