Case Study 4

Commondale Station on the Esk Valley Railway lies within the North York Moors National Park. The unstaffed station has been adopted through a volunteer program, organised by a locally–based community project Beyond Boundaries. Anthony Laffan is the director of the project. He is enthusiastic about the link between Northern and Beyond Boundaries at Commondale, which is proving to be a great success for adults and youths with learning difficulties. For people on the autistic spectrum, engaging with their interests and hobbies has proved to be a good starting point. One of the big interests many individuals share is the railway. Anthony said: “Through the station adoption project, individuals who have a love of trains can now be closely and actively involved in the train station and this is proving to have many benefits for their health and wellbeing.”He adds, “There are a lot more smiling people on the platform at Commondale than there used to be, guaranteeing a warm welcome to visitors."