Railway station community hub proves to be popular venue

Packed Bishopstone community hub for talk by Derek Eager of Newhaven Museum during a ‘Meet Up Mondays’ event.

Community volunteers are celebrating the runaway success of their restored railway building with packed attendance at organised events.

The Old Parcel Room at Bishopstone railway station opened last November after five years of fundraising by the Friends of Bishopstone Station.

In the three months since it opened, the community hub has hosted weekly ‘Meet Up Mondays’ drop-in sessions, a local history talk about the development of Newhaven, art classes, sewing lessons, French language tuition and yoga practice.

The venue has also been booked for meetings by various rail organisations including Southeast Communities Rail Partnership which worked with the community volunteers on bringing the redundant building back to life.

Barbara Mine, chair of the Friends of Bishopstone Station, said: “It is wonderful to see so many people using the community hub in our first three months of operation. It makes all our efforts worthwhile to know we are helping people in the community by providing a range of activities in a warm space on their doorstep.”

Paul Bromley, Community Rail line officer for the Sussex Downs Line, commented: “Full credit to the Friends of Bishopstone Station in achieving so many bookings so soon after opening. The level of interest in using the community hub has been outstanding and we look forward to holding one of our future meetings on the site.”

Any groups interested in using the Bishopstone community hub should email [email protected]

The restoration of the Old Parcel Room was carried out as a partnership project involving Southern, Network Rail, Railway Heritage Trust, Community Rail Network, Department for Transport, the Friends of Bishopstone Station and Southeast Communities Rail Partnership.