Liam Johnston, executive director of Railway Mission, shares an uplifting story that speaks to something universal: finding inspiration in the everyday and turning it into something meaningful.
At the start of the year, Margate platform staff member Kudakwashe Osoba made a quiet but determined resolution: 2025 would be the year she’d travel more, and she’d do it for fun.
The spark for this idea came in the form of a calendar, gifted by Lee Woolcott-Ellis, Southeastern’s Wellbeing Lead. Lee’s award-winning work was featured in RailStaff 285 (May-Jun 2023).
The calendar, produced by the Railway Mission, featured a different railway scene from across the UK each month – stations, trains, and landscapes steeped in history and beauty.
Kuda recalled thinking: “I could visit each one in the month it represents, and that will surely get me out of the house.”
What began as a personal challenge quickly became a shared adventure when her daughter, Dani, decided to come along. True to her grammar school-honed thoroughness, Dani dove into the details. Their plan to kick things off on Saturday 4 January, was quickly foiled, when she discovered that the Pullman train featured in January’s photo didn’t begin its service until the 11th. “Back to the drawing board!” Kuda laughed. “She’s got out of control!”
A greater purpose
But the slight detour only added to the charm of the experience. Now, six months in, Kuda and Dani have visited half the locations featured in the Railway Mission’s 2025 calendar, a month-by-month journey that celebrates the rich heritage of Britain’s railways and marks the Railway200 bicentenary.
Their travels also serve a deeper purpose: to raise awareness and funds for Railway Mission, the organisation that supports the wellbeing of railway staff and passengers through its team of chaplains. It’s a cause close to Kuda’s heart, and one woven into every step of the journey. “Fund-raising is fun, but when it’s for such a personal and worthy cause, it makes it all the more worthwhile”.
To make things even more memorable, Kuda is crafting a verbatim poem for each location. These poems draw on observations, conversations, sounds, and sights from their visits, capturing the essence of each railway stop in creative, heartfelt verse.
What began as a simple idea has grown into something far richer: a tribute to the railways that connect Britain, a celebration of family, and a creative journey that inspires connection, discovery, and purpose. And as their calendar flips to its next destination, Kuda and Dani remain firmly on track, sharing their story one station, one poem, and one train at a time.
Railway Mission is a Christian faith-based charity offering independent, confidential, impartial pastoral care to the railway community and members of the public affected by rail operations. Each of its regionally-based chaplains aims to be an impartial ‘friend’ for those who work on the railways. Regardless of faith, gender, or sexual orientation, its chaplains offer face-to-face year-round support, especially during an individual’s time of loneliness, stress, depression, bereavement or illness.
Image credit: Railway Mission
