As part of Crowthorne Town Councils Big Green Week events, we planned a visit to the Wind Turbine at Reading Green Park. It was decided to ask GWR for help with train travel costs and to use the train trip as a way to encourage sustainable and active travel.
GWR very kindly funded the tickets and I used the time at Crowthorne Station to enthuse about the benefits of train travel and how to build confidence using trains. We had a smooth journey to Reading and then changed trains and saw the new station at Reading Green Park. The very enthusiastic group enjoyed the walk through Green Park to the turbine, looking at some wildlife on the way, despite the very hot weather! It is one of the largest inland, windmills, 120m tall, and creating electricity for local use since 2005.
Despite very hot weather the group enjoyed the visit and the talk from Ecotricity representative at the turbine. It was a good opportunity to spread the message about sustainable rail travel combined with walking to reach out of the way destinations. It chimed well with the aims of the Big Green Week and also was enabled networking with like-minded groups in Crowthorne interested in integrated transport and sustainable travel. People were interested to hear about the role Community Rail plays in encouraging sustainable transport.
twenty sustainable adventurers took the 29 minute train journey from Crowthorne to Green Park to see Berkshire's only wind turbine. They enjoyed an informative tour of the 120m tall landmark.