During the week when the RHS Chelsea Flow Show was taking place in London and being broadcast on TV, members of the local Cubs group at Letchworth took to the station’s flowerbeds.

Letchworth Garden City station will later this summer be a splash of colour, and will hum to the buzzing of bees thanks to the building of bug boxes and the planting of 400 bulbs by twenty-four members of the 4th Letchworth Cubs group who worked through the rain to ensure the floral displays will look their best.

They were supported by Govia Thameslink Railway, and members from the Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Community Rail Partnerships.

The cubs recently joined up to the ‘Platforms for Change programme’ which encourages children to get involved and volunteers with smaller community rail projects at stations, as well as participating in a few rail confidence trips, which helps them how to learn and navigate their way the railway environment which will help them in their later years.

The ‘Platforms for Change programme’ is a scheme that has been set up by the Community Rail Network in partnership with local Scout groups.

Children from as young as 4 can join the Squirrels group, before they progress through the ranks such as cubs and beavers, to become Explorers by the time they are 18.

They participate with many community rail projects which include gardening, making bug and bird boxes using DIY and painting, all while learning important skills for later life.

On completion of the scheme, Scouts are awarded the ‘Platforms for Change’ badge.

“It was brilliant to involve the 4^th Letchworth Cubs in this project and I’m sure customers will be pleased to see some beautiful new flowers at our station. We hope the group learnt some valuable gardening skills and we look forward to welcoming them back for future days out on the railway.”

Station Manager for Letchworth Garden City, Karen Chudovszky

“The Cubs had a fantastic day planting bulbs, creating bug hotels for the station fencing and picking up litter. Platforms for Change is a great way of getting young people involved with the local community and we’re excited to keep learning more about the railway through the programme.”

The 4^th Letchworth Cubs leader, Russell Wake

Information on the ‘Platforms for Change’ programme can be found by visiting Platforms for Change – Community Rail Network