Friends of Sutton Coldfield

Brightening Sutton Coldfield Railway Station Project

‘A Project by the Community for the Community ‘

The entrance to Sutton Coldfield station and the gateway to the Royal town was in need of brightening and improvement.

There had been reports of anti-social behaviour and discarding of litter

  • Overhanging trees making the area dark and foreboding
  • Distressed and ugly Wall
  • View from The Station Pub showing a beautiful blue brick wall scarred by previous graffiti
  • A site where fencing had once been
  • Terrace in need of TLC to form a community space
  • Electrical cupboard and overgrown and self seeded former garden

Following A successful bid to West Midlands Trains we were awarded a Customer and Communities Improvement Fund kindly match funded by Sutton Town Council and included costed volunteer hours .

What we did first:

  • Self seeded trees were removed and canopies lifted
  • Ground cover managed
  • Litter picks with Friends of Wylde Green Train station and Good Gym
  • Ground dug over by Spaghetti line CSP and Friends of Wylde Green Train Station
  • Mass litter pick with Sutton Coldfiled Litter Action group
  • 100 bags, bottles,toaster and debris removed from site by BCC

What were the final results of the project ?

  • Wingy created and installed murals that were inspired by native fauna and flora in Sutton Park
  • Tom Woolley designed The Spaghetti line CSP map
  • The ‘Whimsical Tree’ was created by Cal at The Whimsical Trading post
  • The garden was designed and planted by Kate Rose design
  • Brumhaus created a trompe l’oeil from his Sutton Park picture
  • The terrace was designed and installed by the contractors H2O

How did we celebrate our achievements ?

  • We had visits from important people
  • Network rail and West Midlands Trains had a press day
  • We delivered presentations to the round table
  • We met with fellow station adopters
  • We did tours
  • We’ve had rail industry videos made
  • We presented at the West Midlands station adopter celebration day

How the project grew and expanded

  • Weeded,painted fence and planted up new planters
  • Addressed wayfinding
  • found historical photos of the area (Scout jamboree 1957
  • Researched ghost signs
  • Ruby Rivett station masters daughter in law 1912 standing in “Ruby’s Garden”
Our Victorian Station Masters and the Crash in 1955

pages to be added

Courtesy of Yvonne Moore Royal Sutton Coldfield Local History Stories, the old canopy at the Main entrance of Sutton Coldfield Station https://www.facebook.com/groups/1700472363827680/user/100007073291533