A £25,000 funding boost to restore an historic station in Campsea Ashe was presented to the group behind the plans on Tuesday.

The money will allow for improved waiting facilities at Wickham Market Station in Campsea Ashe, with the installation of a canopy to run the length of the building to shelter those waiting for trains. The original canopy was removed in the 1970s.

The grant was secured by The East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership (ESLCRP) from the Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP). It forms part of a wider project to restore the building by Station House Community Connections, which will also see the provision of a café, waiting area and first floor meeting and digital training rooms.

Chairman of Station House Community Connections, Robert Webb, said: “The funding will contribute to the building of the renewed canopy at the Station House and is a fantastic boost to our objective of bringing the building back into use as a community facility. It will provide practical benefits to station users and renew the identity and sense of place to this new and exciting community resource. The main thing is to make it look like a railway station again, to how it used to be in its heyday. It gives people the chance to experience that and gives the sense of the landmark that it used to be.”

Chairman of the East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership, Aaron Taffera, said: “We’re very happy that the partnership is able to provide this grant to help restore the canopy. Passengers will see real benefits from this scheme and the continuing work of the CRP.”

For more information on the regeneration project, visit www.stationhousecampseaashe.co.uk