Managers from Thameslink and Great Northern’s infrastructure team swapped their desks for gardening gloves during a recent team awayday, helping transform green spaces at New Southgate and Potters Bar stations.
The volunteering initiative saw the team tackle overgrown vegetation, litter, and debris, making room for new plants and landscaping features to enhance the station environments for passengers and the wider community.
At New Southgate’s Regal Park entrance, the team removed an impressive three tonnes of waste, making around 80 trips to transport tools and materials. They went on to plant a vibrant array of greenery, including 19 Bay trees, 14 Rotund Folias, and seven Japanese Azaleas. The makeover also involved the use of eight 50-litre bags of manure, two 50-litre bags of compost, six tonnes of gravel, and one tonne of topsoil.
Andrew Sidgwick, Business Development Manager, who led the initiative at New Southgate, said:
“Our teams are heavily involved in change projects that support our company values to improve the experience of the passengers who use our services. I’m really pleased with the end results in such a short period of time. It was heart-warming to receive positive feedback from passengers and members of the local community.”
At Potters Bar, Raj Patel, Head of Access & Regulatory, took the lead in refreshing the Memorial Garden, trimming and pruning the space in preparation for spring.
She added:
“It’s great to be able to get out and roll up our sleeves. Often we oversee lots of projects, but to get hands-on and stuck in has been brilliant—especially for something that gives back to the community we serve.”
The activity forms part of the operators’ wider commitment to environmental improvement and community engagement, with more green space enhancements planned in the months ahead.
