Sunday 20th July saw the Watercress Line host another of its popular Welcome Day events, welcoming a group of 22 prospective new volunteers.
The group represented a wide range of ages and backgrounds, including seven women and several younger attendees – an encouraging reflection of the growing diversity among those interested in volunteering with us.
The day began with a 30-minute orientation session in the Goods Shed at Alresford Station. Visitors were then divided into two to three smaller groups and spent the next hour exploring the various functional teams at Alresford Station. From Traffic Operations to Retail and Information, each team provided insights into their work and engaged directly with the visitors.
At 15:00, everyone boarded a steam-hauled service to Ropley, led by Canadian Pacific. There, attendees were introduced to even more Watercress Line volunteer teams, including Engineering, Signalling, Sitecare, and the ever-popular Carriage Workshop – the standout of the day!
The event concluded with a wrap-up session from 16:30 to 17:00, where visitors enthusiastically shared which teams had most inspired them. Each participant’s preferred area (or areas) was noted, and they will now be connected directly with those teams to arrange their initial meetings and first volunteer shifts.
Feedback from the day was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees saying:
“I’m very grateful.”
“What a fascinating introduction—thank you.”
“What a fantastic volunteer orientation!”
Initial indications suggest the event has already secured at least 5–6 new volunteers for the Carriage Workshop and 3–4 for Catering and Retail—an excellent outcome for the Watercress Line’s volunteer community.
