Emergency Appeals during Lockdown

Don't quite know what I'm letting myself in for here but here we go!

In similar vein to the 'Open or Closed....' thread, I thought it might be a good idea to consolidate all of the emergency appeals that have been set up by heritage railways into one place. Will start off with any that I immediately know of or can find, so please post railways that have set up appeals and I will attempt to update this top post as often as I can. Being a key worker it might not be every day but will do my best!

It must be said that ALL railways need our support in this difficult time, so even the railways that haven't set up a specific fund or directing people to a general fund via a coronavirus update need help! Support your local lines!

Last updated: 29/04/20 11:20pm

30742 Covid-19 Appeal
https://mailchi.mp/32df1ba61a43/covid-19-appeal

Avon Valley Railway Corona Survival Fund
https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ch...age.action?campaignId=11614&charityId=1015545

Bluebell Railway Emergency Appeal
https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ch...ge.action?charityCampaignUrl=support-bluebell

Dean Forest Railway Society Emergency Fund
https://www.dfrsociety.org.uk/dfrs-emergency-fund

East Lancs Railway Support Fund
https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ch...Page.action?charityCampaignUrl=ELRsupportfund

Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Victory Over The Virus
https://www.e-v-r.com/victory/

Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway Covid-19 Emergency Appeal
https://www.festrail.co.uk/appeal.htm

Foxfield Railway Emergency Appeal
https://www.foxfieldrailway.co.uk/emergency-appeal

Glos Warks Emergency Appeal
https://www.gwsr.com/Emergency_Embankment_Appeal.html

Gwili Railway Emergency Fund
https://gwili-railway.co.uk/emergency-fund/

Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Worth Saving Appeal
https://kwvr.co.uk/worth-saving/

Kent & East Sussex Railway Covid-19 Appeal
https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/10266#!/DonationDetails#/DonationDetails

Llangollen Railway Urgent Covid-19 Appeal
https://llangollenrailway.charitycheckout.co.uk/cf/covid-19-appeal

Mid Norfolk Railway Coronavirus Closure Fund
https://www.mnr.org.uk/donations/coronaclosurefund

North Norfolk Railway Covid-19 Emergency Appeal
https://shop.nnrailway.co.uk/

North Yorkshire Moors Railway Crisis Fund
https://www.nymr.co.uk/appeal/nymr-crisis-fund

Pontypool & Blaenavon Covid-19 Appeal
https://www.bhrailway.co.uk/covid19appeal

Severn Valley Railway Emergency Appeal
https://www.svr.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?a=921

Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust Safeguarding Our Future
https://www.sdrt.org/Appeal-For-The-Future-Of-The-Trust.Html

Swanage Railway Save Our Service
https://www.swanagerailwaytrust.org/giving

Talyllyn Railway Appeal Fund
https://justgiving.com/campaign/tal...yQiiUSMvb1KmTdfFmUQJR_Y0tAI85g7JgJhmWq9YXUkas

West Somerset Railway
https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/donations


Railways directing towards general donations:-

Cholsey & Wallingford Railway
https://www.cholsey-wallingford-railway.com/

Didcot Railway Centre
https://didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/product.php/50/support-us

East Somerset Railway
https://eastsomersetrailway.digitickets.co.uk/category/13452

Embsay and Bolton Abbey Railway
https://www.embsayboltonabbeyrailway.org.uk/coronavirus

Fairbourne Railway
http://www.fairbournerailway.com/

Mid Hants Railway
https://preservation.watercressline...ure-and-how-you-can-help-us-continue-our-work

M&GN Society
https://www.mandgn.org/page.php?pid=70

Nene Valley Railway
https://nvr.org.uk/product.php/164//

South Devon Railway
https://www.southdevonrailway.co.uk...LX2_8MsGaBBfDbmQkqvVos0cd4rn69UXSTXARb8OpV15g

Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway
https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/9557#!/DonationDetails

 

Good work, I am making a donation to the GCR each time I don't go .......to the value of ticket, food and petrol.

 

Likewise to the Bluebell - I'm totting up what I would have spent in travel etc volunteering each month to add.

Tom

 

The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway have issued a ‘Victory over the Virus’ appeal. You can make your donation via our special Victory over the Virus web page at www.e-v-r.com/victory methods options for payment include a PayPal option, typing in the amount and ticking the "Make this a monthly donation" box (PayPal take a fee).

As has been said above, if volunteers and supporters simply contribute the amount of their travel expenses it can make an enormous contribution.

 

Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway
https://www.embsayboltonabbeyrailway.org.uk/coronavirus

Will

 

The Watercress is asking for help towards their fixed costs etc. and to keep as many projects on track as possible though realistically some will go into the long grass for a while.

https://preservation.watercressline...ure-and-how-you-can-help-us-continue-our-work

 

Gwili

https://gwili-railway.co.uk/emergency-fund/

thanks

Matt

 

Swanage Railway..

https://www.swanagerailwaytrust.org/giving

Few railways have been built up from absolutely nothing like the Swanage Railway has, please support us going forward!

 

Mid Norfolk Railway

https://www.mnr.org.uk/donations/coronaclosurefund

 

ESR asking for donations through here:

https://eastsomersetrailway.digitickets.co.uk/category/13452

Sent from my SM-A530F using Tapatalk

 

M&GN Society asking for donations via their usual link.

https://www.mandgn.org/page.php?pid=70

 

Fairbourne Railway's is on the first page of the website: http://www.fairbournerailway.com/

 

Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland https://www.festrail.co.uk/appeal.htm online donation coming soon

 

SVR appeal page updated, new website address www.svr.co.uk

Note the appeal is for £250,000 to keep the Railway ticking over for the next three months

Thanks

 

Donations are now able be made online, via the Ffestiniog Railway Society's Virgin Money Giving page or the Welsh Highland Railway Society's Paypal.

 

One thing is quite apparent. Most heritage style lines will make an appeal for funds, but as there will be many the slices of the cake will be that much smaller than the usual kind of appeal which usually has less competition for money. Moreover, given the uncertainties of how long this crisis will last many people, as far as I can see, will be more careful of how they spend what spare money they have.
There are quite a few lines that are worth supporting, they are usually more cautious in how they apportion their finances and are, in the main, less likely to embark on wasteful and possible costly projects and litigation.
I am not devoted to any specific line so have yet to decide when and to whom to donate. My first financial call is to a transport museum of which I have been a supporter for many years, which unfortunately like heritage lines has been forced to close. This crisis, particularly for heritage railways, I believe will last a bit longer than more open and more easily controlled areas. Confinement in a vehicle or carriage is at a disadvantage to open spaces, which may - or may not - be reprieved sooner than later.

 

I would add that we, as a small Fund with a large number of vehicles, will be short this year, 2020, by about £25000.
This is caused by cancelled visits to Buckingham Railway Centre and The Spa Valley Railway also the refurbishment of Falling Sands Viaduct and this new Pandemic have meant that we have had no Sales Stand since early January.
Should anyone feel inclined to help us, please PM me and I will give details on how to assist the Fund.

Many Thanks

Nick

GWR 813 Fund.

 

Latest News Release: https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ne...lp-swanage-railway-in-the-wake-of-coronavirus
Supporting video:

 

Some very professional appeals here but just a quick thought, many are simply give us your money whilst others such as the SVR suggest buying shares.

One thought I had was to support some of my favourite lines by joining as a life member but as an older person with inevitable investment risks to my income I was surprised to see the wide variety of life membership costs. Whilst 40 times annual is a very good deal for some those of us with much shorter life expectancy may feel £1000 or more to a single line a little excessive. Equally if one has £1000 spare is it better spread or invested in a favourite and should that be the one(s) already supported or a new line?

Maybe some sort of 5 or 10 year "Corona member" deals at perhaps 10 or 20 times the normal annual fee would get the needed quick cash flow which all lines will need?

 

KWVR seem to have removed the life member option from their website, and NYMR no longer have a senior member rate though I'm not sure how long ago that was taken off.