Horsham District Council is celebrating national recognition after winning bronze in the Tourism and Leisure Award at the 21st Community Rail Awards, for its ‘Arun Valley Line: Beyond the Rails’ project – a series of podcasts and short films which highlight the unique character of the local area, showcasing attractions, walks and community activities that visitors can easily reach by train.
The award-winning project was delivered collaboratively by Horsham District Council, Southeast Communities Rail Partnership and Whistlestop Arts, the creative expertise behind the initiative.
Series one first launched in 2025, focussed on stations in the Horsham District, including Horsham, Billingshurst, Pulborough and Amberley. Its success led to the launch of a second series this year, covering six additional stations including Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, bringing additional partners on board including Arun District Council and Experience Sussex.
To accompany the new series, additional funding from the Community Rail Network enabled the creation of a fun children’s activity pack. The pack follows ‘Sonnet the Skylark’ on a mystery adventure, with puzzles and clues that families can solve while travelling by train or from home.
As part of the Community Rail Awards, judges reviewed more than 300 entries showcasing the extraordinary work taking place across Britain to connect communities with their railways.
Barbara Childs, Horsham District Council’s Director of Place, commented:
“We are delighted to receive this award and national recognition from Community Rail Network for our Arun Valley Line Beyond the Rails project.
"To receive this award is a great recognition of all the work and creativity those involved have put in to make this happen and an excellent collaboration between local authorities, tourism organisations and the community rail sector.
"The project aims to celebrate our fantastic visitor economy, champion the line’s friendly welcoming community, promote the use of sustainable transport and highlight the wellbeing benefits of exploring our local area.
"I would encourage anyone looking for local things to do to this Easter school holiday and beyond, to tune in to the Arun Valley Line podcast and download an activity pack to discover new places to visit.”
The podcast series, short films and activity pack can be accessed online at: https://www.whistlestoparts.org/arunvalley
The Arun Valley Line: Beyond the Rails project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.