At Loving the Cotswolds, we chose Trains to be named after BBC Radio Gloucestershire’s lockdown heroes as part of our 101 reasons because it captures something distinctive about this much-loved part of England.
On this page we look at what makes it special, with details including Emma Hurrell at work, Martin Heath in some of his costumes and Trains, and a little of the context that helps you see it as more than just another stop on the map.
18/09/2020
Two ‘superstars’ from Gloucestershire will have trains named after them to celebrate their outstanding work during the coronavirus pandemic.
Emma Hurrell from Stroud was nominated by listeners to become one of BBC Radio Gloucestershire’s ‘Make a Difference Superstars’. The other winner was Martin Heath, also known as ‘Mitcheldean’s Running Man’.
Emma Hurrell from Stroud was nominated by listeners to become one of BBC Radio Gloucestershire’s ‘Make a Difference Superstars’. The other winner was Martin Heath, also known as ‘Mitcheldean’s Running Man’.
The two winners will each have a high-speed Great Western Railway (GWR) train named after them.Working at the charity ‘The Long Table’ to help source produce and create links to farms, Emma changed her role completely to help serve her community with the onset of COVID-19.
Working tirelessly, with incredibly long hours, she and her team at The Long Table ensured that meals were cooked and delivered safely, pioneering a new way to get food out to the most vulnerable at a time when supermarket shelves were empty.
They delivered 40,000 meals across Gloucestershire with 80 percent being free. Emma and the team fed NHS frontline workers, people in homeless shelters, those on low incomes and people who were shielding or quarantining as part of a countrywide offering from the charity.
Speaking on the station, Emma said: “I knew that a lot of people were struggling to get food, the supermarkets were empty at this point, so it seemed crazy to shut down and leave people cut short. We wanted to pitch in and make sure that everybody had access to good food.
“It was such a massive team effort and I’m representing a huge number of people. Our team in Stroud, the kitchen team and drivers all made it happen.”
Shariff Mahmood, who nominated Emma, said she has an “open heart”, who did not like letting others down.
Every day, for 101 days, Martin ran around Mitcheldean in fancy dress, donning a different costume each day, except for the reappearance of his chicken suit to celebrate Easter!
Running a whopping 440 miles in total, he raised £2230.60, 5 cents, a plastic penny and a euro. This was split between Muscular Dystrophy UK and Great Oaks Hospice in the Forest of Dean.
The nine BBC local radio stations in the GWR area are taking part in ‘Make a Difference Superstars’. Two people from each area will have trains named after them, meaning a total of 18 trains will be named after local lockdown heroes.Stephanie Marshall, head of the BBC in the West and South West, said: “The pandemic may have been the worst of times for many of us, but it has brought out the best in so many people.
“Since lockdown began, nearly two million listeners have contacted their BBC local radio station either looking for help, or in many cases offering it out, through the Make a Difference campaign.
“The stories of local heroism have helped put a smile on faces across the country and I’m incredibly proud that BBC Radio Gloucestershire played a part in that.”
GWR interim managing director Matthew Golton said: “The GWR has a long and proud history of naming trains after Great Westerners – past and present heroes from across our network – and to that list now we can add the names of Emma Hurrell and Martin Heath from the BBC Radio Gloucestershire region.
“It has been a privilege to partner with the BBC Make a Difference campaign and learn more about those people who have helped to make such a huge difference in their communities during the pandemic.
“Listening to BBC Radio Gloucestershire we were particularly overwhelmed by the stories of these two winners and I hope our train-naming ceremonies will serve as a fitting tribute to them.”
