VOLUNTEERS who pulled out all the stops to spruce up Bingley Station have won national recognition.

Action Stations, who created a Bingley Five Rise themed garden complete with a narrowboat planter, won the silver It's Your Station award in the ACORP Community Rail Awards 2019.

Two years ago the team started their mission to create a safe and clean environment for the commuters of Bingley and Crossflatts railway stations.

Now Action Stations is looking to grow fruits and vegetables for the community and finger signing guides to help those who are hard of hearing.

Derrick Hodgson, chairman of Action Stations, told the Telegraph & Argus: "It's recognition of all the hard work that we put in over the past two years for the group, for the team.

"It's there to make a safer environment for the community. It's a fantastic achievement for the group.

"Future projects include sign writing for the hard of hearing with the British Deaf Association (BDA) and an "Incredible Edible" scheme to embelish the established Bingley Incredible Edible Scheme."

It's been a year of achievements for Action Station.

The Five Rise themed garden, with its red, black and white themed colours, has now officially named its boat Flora - prominently painted on the back.

All efforts, Derrick says, will make Bingley's residents and rail passengers feel proud about where they live and cut down vandalism in the area.

Derrick said: "There is still some painting to complete, scrolls and possibly a splash of colour, perhaps some accessories too.

"We did have a slight mishap with the boat 'sinking' over the Christmas period but, with the resolve of the group and brilliant team effort, we solved the problem and Flora is once again “afloat”.

"The garden has been well populated with an amazing display of flowers, which seems to last throughout the seasons. It really does look splendid when in full bloom.

"We have hedged the back of the garden, against the wall of the station masters house, which now shows an array of autumnal berries. We have also populated the planters outside the entrance to each of the stations and received bulbs and bedding plants from the town council for summer and winter bedding."

The whole community is involved now with Joy and her Beaver scouts donating bat boxes. While the Canal and Rivers Trust has designed huge tourist boards for each side of Bingley’s platforms. These highlight the way to the real Five Rise locks to show the town's tourist offering.