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Marjorie Birch Deputy Chair of WiCR .

I spent all my working life in education beginning in 1966 in a Primary School in the centre of Blackburn moving to Daisyfield Primary School, which was close to my childcare provider.  In the early 1970’s an opportunity came up for an Early Years teacher at a school for children with special educational needs, one of the best decisions I’ve made. I went back to university for a year to study this area and eventually worked in a multi disciplinary setting working with children under five, their parents and carers.

In 1996 I move to a job in Lancashire County Council which involved working with the voluntary, private and state sectors in developing services for children under seven. These included before and after school clubs, nursery classes and holiday provision.

We asked Marjorie

What are your goals in life, or have you achieved them

From my teens my goal was to be a teacher, there was no other career that interested me. I was delighted when I got a place at Alsager Training College

and qualified as a teacher. (I also met my husband there). I don’t really set myself goals but look for opportunities. Following my husband’s death his friends offered me the opportunity to join the rail group that he was involved in. That led to me becoming Chair of the group, a member of the Clitheroe Line Partnership and a director of Community Rail Lancashire. I was also a Vice–Chair of ACoRP .

Richard Watts gave me the opportunity to set up the CRL Education programme with Brian Haworth, which over ten years involved thousands of primary school pupils, a very rewarding experience. With the formation of WiCR new opportunities arose to belong to an organization, which was inclusive, supportive and proactive in developing good practice in Community Rail. The adoption of the Code of Conduct by Community Rail Network, the DfT and Network Rail was the result of listening to the voices of people working in Community Rail and a major achievement by the organization.

If you could not volunteer for a year what would you do?

I’ve recently experienced a year without volunteering and I certainly missed the teamwork, friendship and support that working as a volunteer brings. I suppose I would travel, driving through France down to the Pyrenees and hoping to catch some stages of the Tour de France.

What are your interests?

Travel comes high on the list. France is my favourite place and is full of happy memories. I enjoy the amazing seafood, the wine and the pace of life.  I’m also an avid reader and with a group of friends enjoy film nights at a local pub. I’ve recently taken to gardening and am enjoying eating the produce which I’ve grown.

Explain the photograph.

This photograph was taken on 11^th April 2014 on a special steam train that ran from Leeds to Carlisle to celebrate the 25^th Anniversary of the saving of the Settle- Carlisle Line. Michael Portillo was the special guest and travelled part of the way to Carlisle in the cab. At Carlisle we all alighted and had a short stay at the station. Every passenger had an allotted seat and when I returned to my seat Michael Portillo was seated at it.   I explained that he was sitting in my seat, he apologised and prepared to move. Again an opportunity arose and hence the photograph.

Sally Buttifant MBE, former Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership Officer and now Housing Options Adviser.

Sally started out as a Dr’s receptionist and learnt frontline customer service skills which she has put to good use in a career in local government. Her roles have included estate management, community engagement and before going in to housing options, 10 years working along the Mid Cheshire Line with partners and volunteers. Founder member of WiCR Sally is proud to have made a difference, encouraged people to volunteer and get involved with community rail.

Who inspired you to be a better person?

That’s a difficult one …… being bullied at school and being on the edge of friendship groups made me conscious of those who were left out and put down so I have always endeavoured to like everyone and realise that unkind or grumpy, awkward people may be experiencing their own trauma and to always try and include and give the benefit of the doubt.

I also lost my best friend to suicide when we were in our late twenties and that devastating event led me to become a Samaritan ….. learning active listening skills, to be non judgemental and calm has definitely made me a better person.

When did your life change for the better?

When I was 18 and woke up in hospital after a motorbike accident that nearly killed me ….  It put everything in to perspective and made me realise that life is very precious and we should value and cherish every day. I was very lucky to be alive and am lucky to be alive!!

More recently life changed for the better when we got a kitten! After 30 years of having older rescue cats we finally got a kitten and he has filled our lives with joy … …. The joy of a cat up a Christmas tree …. Highly recommended!!

Who do you most respect in your work or home life and why?

Crikey! I try to respect everyone but recently the pandemic has made me really respect those who work in our care homes, our hospitals, on the transport network, in housing (I have to say that!), in retail …. In short the key workers who have kept things going and who have cared for us in different ways.

Also our volunteers … I loved working with our volunteers when I worked with Mid Cheshire CRP, they give their time freely and make such a difference.

What are your success habits?

Being proactive, being conscientious, giving to others what you want to receive back … trying to go the extra mile and never asking a volunteer to do something that I wasn’t prepared to do. Making the most of every day of course. And having pets …. Keeps you focussed and keeps you humble ….  I have been well trained by the cats to respond to their every need!!

Head of Stakeholder and Community, London Northwestern Railway

Vicky started her career on the railway as a receptionist & PA, she worked her way up to Head of Stakeholder and Community at London Northwestern Railway and became part of the WiCR Steering Group which created WiCR’s Code of Conduct that has been recognised and adopted by DfT, Network Rail and many other CRP and station adoption groups.

We asked Vicky…..
What is the biggest factor that has helped you be successful?
I’ve had the privilege of working with some incredibly inspiring people on the railway. They’ve all taught me something different and I’ve been able to take something from them, which is why I am where I am today, doing a job which offers so much variety and progression. Growing up my mum and dad ran a family pub, restaurant and hotel, it’s a very tough industry and living on site meant that they were both up at the crack of dawn cooking breakfast for the hotel guests and late to bed after they’d locked up. So, I didn’t get to see much of them because they were always working, and it was hard for them to separate work and home life. What I did learn from them was the importance of putting your all into everything and in the end hard work does pay off…and if it doesn’t the pub is the best place to drown your sorrows!!
What was the hardest decision you ever had to make?
In 2017 I left London, where I had been living for the past 15 years and started a new life back in Cheshire. At the time it was a gut wrenching decision, not only was I leaving a city I had called home for half my life but I absolutely loved my job and I was also surrounded by the dearest friends any girl could want. It was the uncertainty of starting a new job in a company that I didn’t know much about, moving back home where I wasn’t in contact with any of my childhood friends and living with my parents again after such a long time of independence and freedom which made the decision very daunting and pretty scary. But looking back, it was probably the best decision I have ever made, and I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t made that leap of faith.
What motivates you to get up and start work on a bad day?
Good question and this one really got me thinking as I’m a more optimist type of person and don’t struggle getting out of bed and starting the day in a positive way. In this job every day is different, so the variety of projects and people really keep me going. If I have had a bad day, I find it hard to focus on other things, hide it from colleagues and I will usually bring it home with me. Having a husband who has no interest in the industry is a real bonus as I can talk things through with him, which helps and gives me a different perspective on the matter.
What is your personal heaven?
A day at the spa – dressed in a fluffy robe, eating strawberries or chocolate with a glass of fizz, wandering from the swimming pool, to the sauna, to the steam room and being treated to a treatment. Pure bliss.