Great Western Railway (GWR) has made a £28,730 grant to an interactive life skills village in Gloucester that teaches young people about making safer choices in different scenarios.

The grant came from Great Western Railway’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund, which was launched in February to support local communities and address areas of social need.

As part of the operator’s contract with the Department for Transport, it is committed to supporting schools, colleges, councils, community and other not-for-profit organisations.

The life skills village, called SkillZONE, is operated by Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service and prepares young people from a range of backgrounds, including social, mental health, and special educational needs, for adulthood.

The skills they learn will allow them to make safer choices when travelling, at home, and taking part in various day-to-day activities.

There are 14 zones in the village, one of them being a rail scenario, and the grant will help to develop a new representation of Gloucester station to enable students to learn about travelling safely on the railway. Gloucester station is nearing completion of a major redevelopment project.

An added enhancement to the rail scenario is three new screens that provide interactive learning experiences and a 16-foot mural of Gloucester Station. The scenario has already benefitted 340 young people from 12 schools, providing them guidance on familiarising themselves with rail travel in a safe and recognisable environment.

Lewis Whitter, Project and Evaluation Lead at SkillZONE, commented that it has already benefited hugely from the grant by educating young people on safe rail travel, and is looking forward to using the remaining funds to install new train seats and expand accessibility to the rail scenario. New educational resources will also be loaded onto the new screen, which include interactive video lessons, games, and how young people can be supportive of each other.

“The Customer and Community Improvement Fund is a fantastic opportunity for us to invest in our communities in projects that really make a difference at a local level. We’re delighted to support this particular initiative, which will help not only educate young people on rail safety across the Gloucester region but give them valuable skills that will support them in all aspects of their day-to-day life. We’re thrilled with what the funding has already helped to achieve at SkillZONE, and we can’t wait to see the next phase of plans come to life.”

GWR Senior Community Impact Manager, Emma Morris