A big stretch of the Great Central Way has been upgraded - come and join the celebrations in the town centre

The celebration takes place on April 2
Volunteers laying a small section of railway track on the walk - a feature which serves to remind residents of the line's history.Volunteers laying a small section of railway track on the walk - a feature which serves to remind residents of the line's history.
Volunteers laying a small section of railway track on the walk - a feature which serves to remind residents of the line's history.

Rotarians in Rugby are inviting residents to join a community celebration marking the completion of their centenary project to upgrade a three quarters of a mile section of The Great Central Way.

On Saturday, April 2, members from all three of the town’s Rotary Clubs will host an event to recognise the work of volunteers over the past three years.

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Rugby Rotary Club has been working with Rugby Borough Council and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust to upgrade the section of the former railway line between Hillmorton Road and Abbey Street - a project which last year received the Rotary Club of Great Britain and Ireland Environmental Award.

It was selected as the winner from projects across the UK which fulfil the sustainability criteria, as set out by a judging panel made up of members of The RGB&I Environment Sustainability Group and ESRAG British Isles Chapter.

The celebrations, from 11.45am until 12.15pm on April 2, will feature fun for all ages, including street theatre, music and songs, outside Hunt’s Bookshop.

As part of International Children’s Book Day, it also heralds the launch of the Rotary Reading Relay.

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Collaborating with more than a dozen schools from across the borough, it forms part of ‘A Culture of Reading between 4th and 7th April, themed on railways and the environment.

The Way ceased use as a railway in the 1960s.

Without the resources to manage it along its full length, the council handed over the lease to Warwickshire Wildlife Trust which now maintains the section south of Hillmorton Road.

But they diid not have the resources to manage the northern section.

As part of the upgrade, last summer three new bespoke benches, funded by The Rugby Group Benevolent Fund, were installed along the Way.

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The design, by Cawston artist and former Rotarian Eric Gaskell, incorporates trains, pedestrians and a cyclist as well as wildlife.

Rex Pogson, for the Rotary Centenary Committee, said: “The three Rotary Clubs of Rugby regularly work with young people and adults from organisations for the good of the community and all are invited to join the fun and bring their friends.

“It’s a delight that the Rotary Clubs in the town are celebrating the 100 years since the founding of the Rotary Club in Rugby first brought the Rotary motto of Service Above Self here.”

“We’re marking the year in all sorts of ways. It’s the culmination of a four-year project to improve the Great Central Way: Laurence Wilbraham and a team of volunteers, working with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and the Rugby Borough, have put in thousands of hours.

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“That’s given us the themes for this informal celebration of them, and a celebration too of the thousands of young people and adults in the town who do so much, year after year, for the quality of our community life.

“Rotary is honoured to work with them in so many ways. This is a bit of fun to say thank you to them all.”

Some volunteers have even been specially trained in strimming and hedge-laying for the project, which has managed to continue despite lockdowns.

For further information about the Great Central Way project or any of the Rugby Rotary Clubs - Rotary Club of Rugby; Rotary Club of Rugby Dunsmore and Rotary Club of Rugby Saturday, visit: www.rotary-ribi.org/clubs/page.php?PgID=801977&ClubID=382