On Friday, July 22, members of The Friends of Honiton Station (FOHS) welcomed judges from the Stations In Bloom competition.

Organisers said that the event being held across large sections of the South Western Railway (SWR) network adding: “It is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate volunteer efforts and initiatives which have turned stations into welcoming spaces for rail users and visitors.”

The main focus of the visit was the official launch of the partnership between The Friends of Honiton Station and a number of Honiton-based community groups.

Each group has produced a piece of original art work on the front of one of the planters on the station, with a small plaque next to it telling visitors about the work each group does to support our community.

The chairman of The Friends of Honiton Station, Martin Long, said: “Our ambition is that the station should be firmly at the heart of the town and everything that it does. And one of our key aims is to support Honiton as a health-promoting town.”

The project was inspired by FOHS member councillor Jenny Brown, who has worked hard to bring it about.

Councillor Brown said: “The last two years have made it more important than ever that we do everything we can to support people’s mental and emotional health. And this initiative is one more way in which we can do our bit in achieving that.”

The groups taking part are: Honiton Health Matters, Honiton Carers, #BroCheck, Parental Minds, Honiton Scouts, Honiton Carnival Club, The Beehive, and Open Arms East Devon.

Volunteers from each group will be caring for their planters, keeping the plants watered, doing some weeding and adding new plants when the planters need refreshing.

The judges also visited the station waiting room, which has recently been refurbished by SWR, and saw the display on the history of the station.

The judges were given copies of a free booklet written by the Chairman of FOHS that accompanies the display.

They also saw the community display board in the station car park, which gives local groups the opportunity to advertise their events to passengers.