Moving community rail support from amateur to professional
Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2014-11-16 08:02:07 - Graham Ellis
You'll have noticed an absence of posts recently on this blog - "overworked" I think is the term. Important immediate things like training courses and making sure our hotel customers require and have had attention, and I've been spending a great deal of time on voluntary stuff that's been immediate too, like making sure that I'm fulfilling the press and publicity role I have with the Community Rail partnership to the best of my ability in a year in which it's been critical to inform and draw people in to the new services.
However, as a volunteer doing this - and with significant help from others too - I've not been able to attend the meetings that I would wish, and the time has come for the role to become part time paid, rolling in with a Community Rail Partnership officer role. Along with the voluntary nature, I've 'short cut' some corners to get things done, and at times been far more preseidential than I should - very embarrassing the other day to be introduced as the chair of the CRP (which I'm not) and hear someone being told that I've brought the service in (which I haven't - I've just been part of the mouthpiece). And in this desire and push to get things done, I've caused some consternation / negative reaction in some parties such as neighbouring groups and officials we should be working with who feel that their toes are being trodden on, and that they're not fully informed as I have worked on their turf. I'm not getting any younger, either.
So - come the AGM of the Community Rail Partnership in January, I'm not going to offer myself as a candidate for any of the officer / official roles. There are a number of strong people on the team who can do professionally what I've been helping with as an amateur, and if requested I'll be happy to support them as best as I can. Perhaps I'll be more involved with "special projects" and I'll certainly be making sure that there's a smooth hand-on if that's required, and retain my position as a cheerer for the rail services in thee parts.