Special train trips from Norwich to Lowestoft have been run by Greater Anglia to help local young people and newly settled families discover the joys of the Broads National Park and the Suffolk Coast.

The Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership worked with the Henderson Trust, New Routes Integration, the Broads Authority’s National Lottery Heritage-Funded project Water, Mills & Marshes, and Greater Anglia to organise the trips. They were designed to help people find out about how to use public transport and give them confidence to explore further afield.

On Tuesday, 2nd August, the Henderson Trust charity supported a group of 12 young people on a trip by train to Oulton Broad, the SWT Carlton Marshes Nature Reserve, and Lowestoft.

The following week, on Friday, 12th August, 31 people from New Routes Integration took a trip across the Broads National Park by train, where they made stops at Oulton Broad North and visited Nicholas Everitt Park before travelling on to Lowestoft. New Routes Integration is a charity that supports refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants by promoting cross-cultural integration and community awareness.

On arrival at Lowestoft, the groups were welcomed at Lowestoft Parcels Office by the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership, who provided refreshments and a free bucket and spade for every child.

Martin Halliday, Community Rail Development Officer, Community Rail Norfolk, said: “The Henderson Trust and New Routes Integration are doing amazing work to improve people’s lives and we were delighted to be able to work with them to help people feel more integrated and confident about exploring and travelling in Norfolk and Suffolk.”

“We are extremely grateful to Greater Anglia and the Broads Authority for supporting this event and working with us to bring rail to the heart of a community which can often feel quite isolated.”

Greater Anglia’s Customer and Community Engagement Manager, Alan Neville, said: “We were pleased to support this vital work which is helping people to use public transport safely and with confidence and connecting them to new opportunities.”

Nick Sanderson, Education Officer for the Broads Authority said: “It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to bring young people and families to the Broads by train and to showcase some of the special qualities of this unique area. The rail journey is a definitely a magical part of the day.”

Sadhia Islam, Youth Projects Coordinator for New Routes Integration, said: “We are so grateful to Broads National Park and Greater Anglia for providing a unique experience for our participants and for the really warm welcome that was shown to us.”