Railway 200 artwork project receives national recognition

The Railway 200 Artwork project, hosted by the Wokingham Learning Disability Partnership Board (LDPP) and led creatively by artist Jo Werrett from Optalis Community Lives, has been recognised in the Community Creative Projects and Station Arts category at the Community Rail Awards. This category highlights projects that have a transformative and empowering effect on participants and their local station environment, helping connect communities with their railway. Members of local self-advocacy charity CLASP attended the ceremony in Derby to collect the award.  

The project brought people with learning disabilities together to produce a collective artwork now displayed at Wokingham Station. Through a series of accessible workshops delivered across the borough, participants decorated individual railway‑track panels, which were then combined into a single installation marking 200 years of railway history.

As part of this collaborative effort, Jo played a key role in helping individuals take part fully and confidently in the creative workshops delivered across Berkshire. By adapting activities, offering practical guidance and ensuring every person had the support needed to contribute in their own way, Jo helped make the project genuinely accessible and inclusive.