Day trip to the seaside for Friendship Café

Members from Melksham’s Shine Friendship Café, which caters for adults with learning disabilities, have enjoyed a day trip to Weston-super-Mare thanks to a community rail group.

A total of 24 members took part in the trip, organised by TransWilts and Great Western Railway (GWR).

For many it was their first trip on a train, and it is hoped it will give them the confidence to make more journeys in the future.

The group joined a service at Chippenham for the hour-long journey to Weston-super-Mare. As well as taking in the scenery as they headed west, they also took part in a general knowledge quiz based on facts about the coastal town.

Once at their destination, they made the short walk to the seafront and spent time on the beach, looking around the souvenir shops and enjoying fish and chips.

Carolyn Fernandes from the café said, “We really had a fabulous time, the GWR staff were so accommodating and helpful assisting us boarding the train. I was amazed how relaxed Shine folk were on the train and we were all surprised how easy and accessible the journey to Weston-super-Mare was; many folks couldn’t believe how soon we arrived.

“Many of the Shine folk will definitely be repeating the trip next summer and they will definitely be more confident travelling by trains to explore their next adventures.”

TransWilts CIC’s Community Partnership Manager, Sophie Martin, said, “While the emphasis was on a fun day out, it had a serious message. We showed the members what to expect when travelling by train, from getting to the platform to asking for assistance if they needed help getting on board. We now hope they will feel confident to try the train again.”

For more details on Trans Wilts, visit www.transwilts.org.