The North Staffordshire Railway Company (1978) Ltd.
The North Staffordshire Railway Company (1978) Ltd. (NSRC) is the Charitable Company (registered charity no. 514172), which provides charitable support to the Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC. It is also the registered museum guardian of an extensive collection of original North Staffordshire Railway memorabilia and other items associated to the railways and their communities in the local area.
The charity’s defined objectives are: “To advance the education of the public in the history and development of railway locomotion, and in particular by the preservation and restoration of a section of the standard gauge railway system formerly operated by the North Staffordshire Railway Company and, for the benefit of the public, to preserve, retain and restore Cheddleton Railway Station as a museum and headquarters for the company.” For further details see ‘Clause 3’ of the NSRC Memorandum of Association.
The NSRC acts as a conduit for grant applications, utilising its charitable status to attract funding for projects that enhance the heritage of the former Churnet Valley Line and the visitor experience for those who come to the Churnet Valley Railway. This is in addition to the NSRC’s own internal fundraising initiatives for ongoing projects, which vary from simple donation schemes to raffles plus sponsorship of slightly larger projects.
The NSRC also provides volunteer support to the Churnet Valley Railway; with the CVR company policy being that all volunteers working on the railway should become NSRC members. As part of the this the NSRC organises social events for its members, including a summer barbecue and musical evenings.
The NSRC publishes a tri-annual magazine, The Knotty, which is recognised as the official journal of the Churnet Valley Railway containing news from the railway of ongoing activities to ensure its continued preservation, plus historical features about both the present day Churnet Valley Railway and the original “North Staffordshire Railway Company” (the “Owd Knotty”).
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