Platform garden at West Sussex railway station helps highlight plight of pollinators, encouraging people to create habitats for bees, beetles and butterflies

The importance of pollinators was highlighted at Angmering Railway Station today, with passengers being offered free seeds to encourage them to grow bee-friendly plants.
Pollinator-friendly plantsPollinator-friendly plants
Pollinator-friendly plants

Friends of Angmering Station and representatives from West Sussex County Council were there this afternoon to talk about the nature gardens created on the westbound platform.

The aim is to highlight West Sussex County Council's new Pollinator Action Plan, which encourages residents to help preserve the habitats of pollinators like beetles and butterflies.

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The plan has been launched to show a commitment to conserve pollinators, protecting and enhancing habitats and managing greenspace to provide greater benefits for pollinators.

Pollinator-friendly plantsPollinator-friendly plants
Pollinator-friendly plants

The council will be working to raise awareness of the plight of pollinators and ensure people are provided with information to help protect and increase the pollinator population by highlighting the insects' needs.

Deborah Urquhart, Angmering councillor and cabinet member for environment on West Sussex County Council, said: "We all know how important bees are for food and for pollination, and they are in decline. So, the more we can do this in our own gardens, the better. Just keep a little patch at the back and just let it go wild to encourage more and more bees."

Friends of Angmering Station is a partnership of community groups which includes railway partners, Art for All, Georgian Gardens Community Primary School and Men in Sheds.

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Deirdre Carolin, a teacher at Georgian Gardens and chairman of Friends of Angmering Station, said: "We are very proud because it was Georgian Gardens School that actually started the partnership off five years ago, which has now formally become Friends of Angmering Station.

Friends of Angmering Station with representatives from West Sussex County Council by the bee-friendly garden created on the platformFriends of Angmering Station with representatives from West Sussex County Council by the bee-friendly garden created on the platform
Friends of Angmering Station with representatives from West Sussex County Council by the bee-friendly garden created on the platform

"The children are all really passionate about plants at school. We have a woodland area and several garden areas, so that is really now linked with the station. We think it is so important that they have this real interest and support from everybody at the station.

"The children are certainly very knowledgeable on their bee spotting and knowing all the insects that are important for our pollination.

"We are hoping to get water butts here, like we have got at school, so that we can keep everything watered. If we are able to harvest rainwater then we will be able to extend the gardens even further."