Pupils, staff, parents and the wider community came together on Saturday to celebrate the opening of the Upshire Primary Foundation School Mr Brown Community Train Carriage. Named in memory of former pupil and school governor Steve Brown, the carriage was officially opened by Mr Brown’s children and Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) Chairman Louise Mead with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
An asset for the whole community
“As Chairman of Epping Forest District Council, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has contributed to this fantastic project,” said EFDC Chairman Louise Mead.
“It is so special to see so many working together to create such a valuable asset for the whole community,” she added.
The event was also attended by the Mayor of Waltham Abbey Maria Markham, who spoke warmly of Steve Brown’s legacy.
“It is a fitting tribute to Steve Brown that this carriage is named after him, given his years of dedication and commitment to the school,” she said.
The transformation journey
The seven-year project has been a labour of love for the team of teachers, support staff and parents at the school. From sourcing a train, to getting it delivered, stripped out and refitted, this complex project has seen more than 50 groups involved to bring the vision to life.
And what a transformation has been achieved, with the train carriage now an all-weather community space, available not just for the school, but the wider community too.
Julie Hockley, Business Manager at Upshire Primary Foundation School, has been involved in the project at every stage of the transformation.
“When we started thinking about this project back in 2018, we had no idea what we were embarking on and just how complex it would be,” she said.
“From day one though, we’ve been overwhelmed with the support we’ve received from across our community and from all the partners who have supported us – we couldn’t have done it without them.”
The decommissioned 23m first-class train carriage, which used to run on the King’s Cross to Edinburgh line, was donated for a nominal fee and delivered in 2021, still fully fitted out as it was when in operation. Needing a full strip-out, plumbing, rewiring and rebuild, the project scope was vast. Never one to be deterred, Julie and her team set about making it full steam ahead.
“We knew we couldn’t deliver this alone, so we set about fundraising, working with EFDC’s Community Development and Wellbeing team, our fantastic PTA and local businesses to help us with both funds and expertise,” said Julie.
“We were overwhelmed by the response we received – everything from direct funding to raffle prizes, architect services, materials supply and project management. Our ties with the local community have just improved so much as a result and what’s even better is that we know it’s going to give so much back now open.”
Partners within the community
Many organisations provided financial support for the project, including:
- EFDC Public Health Community Grant Fund
- PFCC Community Safety Development Fund
- Opening Schools Facility Funding via Essex County Council
- Qualis’ Community Benefit Fund
- Community Safety Partnership
- Active Essex’s Family Summer Fun Day funding
Qualis Property Solutions was one of the key project partners within the community. The council-owned housing repairs and maintenance company donated £5,000 through its Community Benefit Fund and acted as project manager throughout.
“We are so proud to be here today with all those who have supported the project, including local contractors Purdy and Exterior Plas, architects Louis de Soissons and Travis Perkins who supplied the materials,” said Ben Johnson, Managing Director at Qualis Property Solutions.
“This has been an incredibly complex project, but what an amazing feat the school has achieved in having the ambition and drive to make it happen. We know what a positive impact this carriage will make and we’re proud at Qualis to be returning value to the community through our support.”
Getting maximum value
With the train carriage now operational, Upshire Primary Foundation School is working closely with the community and EFDC to maximise the space. As well as providing additional classroom space, the carriage will be used by the local youth club.
Building on the success of this initiative, Julie and the school are now embarking on a new venture to transform a second train carriage, further expanding the school’s community-focused facilities.
Any organisation interested in renting the space is invited to contact Upshire Primary Foundation School on 01992 715567 for more information.
Visit our Community Benefit Fund page for more information about the support available for community projects.
