The Friends of Handforth Station (FoHS) have continued their association with Barnies Community Hub in Crewe, by commissioning and installing some bird boxes made by the Barnies volunteers.
Barnies Community Hub provides activities for people with many types of disability within the local community. It was the charity nominated by Barry Burkhill RIP, a FoHS committee member who died in November 2022 and who is sadly missed.
Barnies have provided to FoHS some bird boxes and other animal homes, made by in a workshop in the Barnies Community Hub garden (next to the Crewe locomotive works).
To celebrate the installation of the new animal homes, FoHS invited some members of Barnies to Handforth for a tour of the station and its many art-works (ably assisted by local Northern Trains community officer Becky Styles). The party then enjoyed tea/coffee and cakes in The Railway pub next to Handforth Station; these were provided free of charge by the landlady of The Railway as “a service for the local community”.
Lesley Christiansen from Barnies Community Garden woodcraft team said “We were very pleased to be able to support the work of Friends of Handforth Station. We have provided a number of bird boxes, hedgehog homes and bat boxes, to encourage and protect the wildlife that lives around Handforth Station.”
Ian Ball, Treasurer of FoHS who accompanied the Barnies visitors, said “People often forget that the large number of trees and bushes around a small station like Handforth attracts not only birds but other wildlife. We hope that the constructs provided by Barnies will encourage their proliferation.
“Our FoHS Easter quiz remains open; entries can be submitted up until the end of Monday 17th April. See our website, or visit the station, for more information,” Ian added.