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STATION ENHANCEMENT PROJECTS FUND APPEAL. From time to time, the Cotswold Line Promotion Group decides that it should fund various projects and, generally, the money comes from our own year to year surplus. For example, we have, in recent years, provided replica GWR benches, gardening equipment and "totem" station signs to celebrate various anniversaries. However, from time to time, the need arises for something more substantial, and costly. The last occasion was in 2003, when we raised some £2000 to help pay for various celebrations in connection with "Cotswold Line 150", including the name plates now displayed on FGW HST power car 43127. This money was raised by our asking members for a one-off donation when paying their membership subscriptions. 2011 will see the introduction of the long awaited double track. This will involve providing three new platforms - at Charlbury, Ascott-under-Wychwood and Honeybourne. The CLPG has been approached by the railway industry to see whether it can provide funds for something better than just basic facilities on these new platforms. The main suggestion is for extra benches and floral displays. These enhancements could cost a great deal of money but will improve passengers' journey experience. We are also keen to support floral displays at all stations where this is practicable along the line and we have recently provided financial assistance for schemes at Evesham and Hanborough and, some years ago, Pershore. The money donated for the Evesham scheme has also been used to enhance Honeybourne, Moreton-in-Marsh, Kingham, Shipton and Ascott-under-Wychwood stations. This will be an ongoing commitment, as plants do not live for ever. We envisage more money being required than we should reasonably provide from our "savings" and, therefore, have launced a "Station Enhancement Projects Fund", to which we already have allocated £2000 from the profit on our "Cotswold Torbay Express" train in 2009 and a further £2000 from the "Cotswold Quantock Express" in 2010. We hope that members and users of the line will wish to contribute to this fund. Donations should be sent, payable to the Cotswold Line Promotion Group, to 4 Sandford Rise, Charlbury, Oxon. OX7 3SZ. The Group will ensure that all donations will, in due course, be used for the purpose of enhancing facilities at stations along the route. The amount in the fund stood at £5883.00 on 31st March 2011.
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