Notices
Society AGM and Members’ Day
Sheffield Park Station, Saturday 21st June 2025 commencing at 4pm.
The following documents for the 4th AGM of the BRPS CLG are published here as PDF downloads, as well as being sent by post, for the benefit of members, especially those overseas:
BRPS AGM Document 2025
Combined Report and Accounts Booklet 2024
BRPS Proxy Voting Form 2025
Gavin Bennett
Secretary
Members’ Day
The idea of the day is to encourage members to see what is going on and show them where they can help, either by volunteering or by other contribution.
To give members plenty of time to explore the railway before attending the AGM itself, the service will begin earlier than a normal Saturday (first departures 9.20 am from Sheffield Park, 10.15 am from East Grinstead). As last year, the meeting will take place in a marquee on the top car park at Sheffield Park, commencing at 4 pm. A late train will leave for East Grinstead after the AGM at 5.45 pm, returning to Sheffield Park at 7.40 pm so if you arrive by rail you can get home afterwards; or you could simply use this train to enjoy the railway in the evening light before heading home from Sheffield Park.
Event Details
Whilst we do not have a newly restored locomotive to launch into traffic at the event this year, we do have something almost as good – a chance to travel in our newly restored SR Maunsell ‘Hastings’ Brake 3rd, 3687. It is being put into traffic on 31st May and is running on AGM day, subject to availability, as part of the ‘B’ set, meaning it should be on the 9.20, 11.45 and 2.15 ex Sheffield Park. We are expecting this set to include all four of our restored Maunsell carriages, the longest rake of such coaches we have so far achieved on the railway.
Throughout the day, we are expecting that most areas within the loco yard (running shed, works, Atlantic House and maintenance shed) will be open to view the progress being made on the various restorations and overhauls that are underway. Some of our loco owning groups will have stands and will be on hand to update you on their respective projects. Whilst at Sheffield Park, don’t forget to pay a visit to the museum where the displays are being continually upgraded and rotated to give new and interesting things to see.
At Horsted Keynes, there will be tours of the Carriage & Wagon works, where you can see the progress being made on a number of carriages in various stages of restoration or overhaul. Members of the SR Coach Group and the Wagon Division will be there to discuss their work and plans for the future. On Platform 1/2 of the station, members of the Infrastructure teams will be showing you the work they have recently completed to this part of our historic ‘Jewel in the Crown’ station and the 1305 (Thumper) team will be on hand at the north end of the platform to show you the progress they are making to bring this unit back to working order.
At all our stations, staff will be happy to answer questions and, subject to operational requirements, show you how things work in their particular part of the Railway.
Do please show your support for the individual project and owning groups that you will meet during your visit.
We hope that lots of you will join us on Society AGM day this year to enjoy your Bluebell railway and play your part its continued progress. Take the opportunity to ask questions and engage with members of the Society’s management during the day and at the meeting, and of course spend what you can in the booking office, shop and catering outlets!
On behalf of the Chairman, Roy Watts, we look forward to seeing you.
Keith Leppard
Trustee
Preservation Standards Manual
We are pleased to be able to publish the first edition of our Preservation Standards Manual, which details how everything on and about our Railway should be presented. This is a major undertaking, and there are some sections yet to be fully completed, and it will probably always remain a work in progress as new research is still uncovering refinements.
Documents for Members
- “Who’s Who” in the BRPS
- BRPS Objectives, Aims & Plans – 2021 edition (available as a pdf document), together with an explanatory note.
Revised (V 1.1) Articles of Association for the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society agreed at the 2022 AGM.- Diesel Developments – D6570 (pdf) – 29 June 2021
- Preservation Standards Manual – April 2020
- Accessibility Statement – March 2019 and updates
- Safeguarding Policy – August 2018
- Privacy Policy – May 2018 (updated 22 Feb 2021)
- Agreed preservation policies and strategies:
- Traction and Rolling Stock Collection Policy (as adopted in 2004)
Internal Combustion & Electric Traction Policy (pdf) – Issue 1 – 18 January 2024- Carriage and Wagon Restoration Policy (as adopted 2003)
- Van Strategy (as adopted October 2015)
- Historic Wagon Strategy (as adopted May 2008)
- Bluebell Railway Trust – Governance and Management Regulations – March 2018
- Carriage Strategy Review (February 2015)
- Options for a turntable or a triangle – October 2011.
- The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the MBE for volunteer groups – June 2010
Social Sub-Committee
- BRPS Social Sub-Committee – with who’s who, and recent and forthcoming events.
List of Notices
- BRPS AGM Notices 2025 and Members’ Day events and evening train – 31 May 2025.
- BRPS AGM Notices 2024 and Members’ Day events and Social evening – 31 May 2024.
- Paul Churchman’s resignation as Chairman – 14 March 2024.
- Chairman’s Weekly Updates – Feb 2023 to Jan 2024.
- BRPS AGM Notices 2023 – 20 May 2023.
- Notes from the Volunteer Forum (pdf) – 18 March 2023.
- Changes to the Bluebell Railway plc board – 26 January 2023, and statement from Geoff Mee – 27 January 2023.
- BRPS Objectives, Aims & Plans – 2021 edition (available as a pdf document), together with an explanatory note.
- Revised (V 1.1) Articles of Association for the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society agreed at the 2022 AGM.
- BRPS AGM – 28 May 2022 – AGM Document 2022 (including AGM arrangements, Agenda, Election nominations, Minutes of October 2021 meetings, long service awards, in memoriam, and various reports), Trust & Society Combined Report & Accounts 2021, Proxy Voting Form – May 2022.
- AGM Notice and Job roles (zip file) – March 2022.
- BRPS Certificate of Incorporation and Articles of Association (the latter as agreed in EGM, October 2021, and now superseded). These came into force with the change from an unincorporated association to a Company Limited by Guarantee on 1 January 2022.
