From Repair Despair to Donation Jubilation!
It was an exciting afternoon at NVR Wansford on Friday 4th April as the Charity Shop Team waited with anticipation for their replacement shop to arrive. As the lorry pulled into the yard, the relief was palpable as 6 months ago it seemed that the Charity Shop would have to close its doors for good.
The Charity Shop first opened at NVR Wansford in 2020 and over the four years that it has been operational, has been central to funding projects around the railway that may otherwise had to have been abandoned as financial belts were tightened. The shop has directly supported many small projects including: the Derek Crouch restoration fund, the Wagons team (new airbrakes), the Gardening Volunteers (we purchased a new shed, tools and slabs for it to be placed in-situ at NVR) and PAT testing training (which allows the shop to sell electrical items). In addition, the shop covered the costs of refurbishing an unused wagon into the charity bookshop, subsidised the 2024 volunteer fish and chip train costs and paid for thank you gifts/rewards for the two boys who raised money for the new signal box. Our biggest achievement of all however, was fundraising for and erecting a new accessibility toilet on the main site at Wansford.
In October 2024 however, it seemed as though this vital provision of funds was destined to come to an abrupt halt. The Charity Shop was temporarily closed for maintenance to the floor but unfortunately, the prognosis was more severe than expected: the shop was condemned and readied for removal for demolition. Without enough funds to purchase a new shop everything seemed rather bleak.
That was until we reached out to construction firm RG Carter who have a local office in Peterborough and are our knights in shining armour. With nothing to lose, we outlined our desperate need for a new portakabin; hoping that they had one that they could donate or allow us to purchase at a reduced rate. After a number of phone calls and emails, Martin Randall, Client Manager for RG Carter confirmed that "RG Carter are delighted to approve the donation of the accommodation unit to Nene Valley Railway to replace the existing unit that you have used as a charity shop to raise funds for your fine establishment".
Sarah Hudson Mann who established the Charity Shop and oversees its day-to-day running explained the importance of the donation. "The Charity Shop team are thrilled by the donation of a new shop unit from RG Carter. The company's support of NVR shows their commitment to the wider community and will allow us to continue to raise funds to ensure that the railway remains accessible by all".
Thanks to RG Carter’s generosity; the NVR (Wansford) Charity Shop will be able to continue to raise funds for many more years to come.
Sarah Hudson Mann with the accommodation donated by RG Carter
The accommodation unit donated by RG Carter arrives at NVR Wansford