Volunteers clean up stations across North of England during the Great British Spring Clean

Stations operated by Northern in Batley, Beverley, Blaydon, Church and Oswaldtwistle, Hartlepool, Hebden Bridge, Riding Mill and Seaton Carew were left spotless after volunteers filled dozens of bin bags with litter last week.

The annual event, organised by Keep Britain Tidy, sees thousands of people across the country clean up their local communities.

Twelve volunteers from Friends of Beverley Station spent two-and-a-half hours picking litter, filling bin bags with discarded coffee cups, sandwich wrappers and cigarette butts.

The group maintain trees and flowers in a picturesque planted area outside the front of the station and they are also in the process of creating a wildlife area next to the car park.

Sue Dyer, co-ordinator of the group, said: “There are only around a dozen of us who work on a regular basis, so we’re a small band of volunteers but we’re all very committed.

“We just want to make sure people get a really good impression when they arrive by train in Beverley and it's great to have funding from Northern to allow us to do what we do.”

Nine volunteers from Friends of Hebden Bridge Station filled nine bags of rubbish over two hours, cleaning up dog mess, beer cans and fast-food containers.

The group regularly pick litter around the station, tend to gardens outside the entrance and plant a colourful array of flowers along borders which line the footpaths.  

Chairman Martin Whittell said: “The station at Hebden Bridge is spectacular and we want to keep it that way.

“We want it to look nice and we get a lot of comments from passengers who come through, especially during the summer months.”

Another eight volunteers from Friends of Batley Station filled 33 bags of rubbish over four hours in heavy rain, picking up empty bottles, dirty nappies, hub caps and an old Christmas tree stand.

Chair Gwen Lowe said: “The station is a gateway into Batley. We have people coming from all over, so it’s important they arrive at a nice, tidy, colourful and friendly station.

“We’re a lovely group. We’re only small, but we’re like a family and everyone’s got different strengths.”

It comes after the station group was recognised as a runner up in the Outstanding Organisers category at the Great British Spring Clean Awards 2023.

Kerry Peters, regional director for Northern, said: “We’re grateful to these volunteers who work so hard to keep our stations clean and tidy and hope customers appreciate their efforts.

“I hope those that have dropped litter in the past will use the bins provided in the future.

“We work with hundreds of adoption groups, across our network, who take pride in ensuring their local stations are pleasant and welcoming places to visit.”  

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.