HS2 pop-up engagement space encourages communities to get involved
Communities along the route of Britain’s new railway are being encouraged to get involved, as HS2 brings a new engagement roadshow to popular locations across the country.
The mobile engagement roadshow is just one of the ways HS2 is reaching out to people.
The roadshow will highlight to the public all the opportunities HS2 is offering, including jobs, skills and education prospects, as well as how to apply for funding as part of the £40 million earmarked for community and business projects along the route.
Starting from Saturday 25 May, HS2 will be heading to Birmingham Pride then making several stops including:
- Quainton on Sunday 26 May at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
- Staffordshire County Show on Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30 May
- Solihull on Saturday 8 June at Solihull Carnival
- Silverstone on Sunday 9 June at the British GT Championship
- Camden on Thursday 13 June at Swiss College Market Place
- Ealing on Friday 21 June at Ealing Green
- Rickmansworth on Saturday 22 June at Croxley Revels Festival
- Coventry on Friday 28 June at Broadgate
Mark Thurston, CEO of HS2 Ltd, said:
HS2 is more than a railway and there are many opportunities for those who live along the line of route and beyond. As a transformative project for the country, we aim to be creative in our approach to engagement and want to interact with as many different communities as possible.
Our new mobile engagement roadshow is just one of the ways we are reaching out to people, and ensuring the opportunities HS2 offers are available to everyone. As part of our drive to be a leading project in our approach to engagement, our teams are working closely with the local communities they serve, and someone from each area will be on hand to speak with visitors at all of our roadshow events.
Communities, Conversations & Connections
The engagement roadshow – entitled Communities, Conversations & Connections – will also highlight the HS2 Helpdesk, an email, freephone and minicom service which is available to the public all day, every day of the year for all queries relating to the new railway.
Mark Thurston added:
At the peak of construction we will need 30,000 people to deliver the new high speed railway, and HS2 is investing in young people now to get our future workforce ready. They are the people who will help us deliver HS2 as it extends from London to the Midlands and then on to the North. Our roadshow will also give visitors more information on how they can play their part in Britain’s new high speed railway.
Supply chain opportunities
HS2 Ltd is also encouraging businesses to attend the roadshow, as specialist staff will be on hand to discuss supply chain opportunities. They will explain how SMEs in particular can bid for contracts on the project.
Julie King, Community and Stakeholder Engagement Director, HS2 Ltd, said:
Last year we engaged with more than 36,000 people at over 2,000 engagement events across the whole HS2 route. Our new community engagement roadshow allows us to showcase the opportunities provided by HS2 in more areas than ever before.
Experts from all areas of the project will be on hand, along with a wealth of resources to experience on the trailer or take away, ensuring that people can get the most out of this crucial investment in the UK’s national transport system.
The mobile engagement will be taking place throughout May and June at 14 locations along the Phase One (Birmingham to London) and Phase 2a (Birmingham to Crewe) sections of the route.
Roadshow show dates and locations
May 2019
- Saturday 25 May – Birmingham at Birmingham Pride (Rotunda Square), 10am-8pm
- Sunday 26 May – Quainton at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre’s Spring Steam Gala, 10.30am-5pm
- Wednesday 29 May – Staffordshire at Staffordshire County Show (day one), 8am-8pm
- Thursday 30 May – Staffordshire at Staffordshire County Show (day two), 8am-6pm
June 2019
- Sunday 2 June – Brackley on the Piazza, 10am-5pm
- Wednesday 5 June – Lichfield at Market Square, 10am-7pm
- Thursday 6 June – Leamington Spa at Town Hall, 10am-7pm
- Saturday 8 June – Solihull at Solihull Carnival, 11am-6.30pm
- Sunday 9 June – Silverstone at British GT Championship – Silverstone 500 including Supercar Sunday, 8.30am-6pm
- Tuesday 11 June – Amersham at King George V Playing Fields, 10am-7pm
- Thursday 13 June – Camden at Swiss College Market Place, 10am-7pm
- Wednesday 19 June – Uxbridge at High Street, 10am-6pm
- Friday 21 June – Ealing at Ealing Green, 10am-6pm
- Saturday 22 June – Rickmansworth at Croxley Revels Festival, 12.30-5.30pm
- Friday 28 June – Coventry at Broadgate by the Lady Godiva statue, 10am-7pm
Press and media enquiries
For enquiries during office working hours, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm 020 7944 6149
For enquiries outside of these hours and at the weekend 020 7944 0550
The press and media enquiries line is for accredited journalists only