New wildlife artwork and garden unveiled at Stafford Railway Station

New wildlife-inspired artwork and a garden designed to attract pollinating insects have been unveiled at Stafford Railway Station, celebrating the town’s Bee Friendly Town status.

The project, developed by Avanti West Coast, local artists and North Staffordshire Community Rail Partnership, has brought colourful murals, recycled artwork and a new wildlife garden to the station, with local young people and community groups helping to create the displays.

Wildlife-inspired artwork welcomes visitors

Staffordshire artist Tom Edwards worked with groups of young people to explore the importance of pollinators, including bees, butterflies and moths, before bringing their designs to life through murals installed on the station platforms and along the customer overbridge.

A new three-dimensional installation has also been created for the overbridge using recycled tin cans, which were transformed into flowers, blossom and insects.

The installation was led by Stafford-based artists ProteanArt, with community groups helping to produce the leaves and flowers surrounding the word ‘Stafford’.

The idea came from station Customer Service Team Leader Fiona Main, who wanted to create a different way of welcoming passengers into the town.

The project also celebrates Stafford’s Bee Friendly Town status, awarded in May 2024, with the railway station now included in the area’s Bee Friendly Trail in Victoria Park.

Local Scouts help create wildlife garden

Alongside the artwork, a new shared garden has been developed at the station to encourage bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects.

Volunteers from Network Rail and train manufacturer Alstom worked alongside Avanti West Coast colleagues to transform repurposed wooden pallets into planters filled with flowers and plants designed to attract wildlife.

The garden has since been adopted by a local Scout group led by Justin Williams, who also works as a Customer Service Assistant at Stafford station.

The Scouts will help maintain the garden and take part in educational activities, including sessions with organisations such as the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

Their involvement builds on previous environmental work at the station, including litter picking, researching suitable plants and constructing bug hotels to provide homes for insects.

Justin said the group’s involvement formed part of Platforms for Change, a joint initiative between Scout groups and the Community Rail Network.

He explained that the young people had spent three years helping with different projects at the station, while also learning about railway safety.

Community invited to donate garden items

Avanti West Coast is inviting members of the public to donate unwanted garden items that could be reused within the station’s wildlife garden.

Items such as large plant pots, stones and seeds are welcome, with anyone interested in contributing asked to speak to a member of the Avanti West Coast team at Stafford station.

The wider initiative has been supported through Avanti West Coast’s Community Rail Project funding, which helps community rail partnerships develop projects that connect local people with their railway.