Fifty lucky local people are celebrating after winning a complimentary takeaway coffee or tea from La Stazione as part of a joint community initiative organised by Ilkley & District u3a and Friends of Ilkley Rail Station (FOIRS).
The winners were selected at random following a prize draw held after volunteers from both organisations spent a week welcoming visitors and residents at Ilkley Railway Station during the Lexus Ilkley Tennis Open Tournament. The campaign encouraged people to discover more about the work of both charities while enjoying one of the town's busiest weeks.
The prize draw, kindly supported by La Stazione, attracted over 100 entries and gave volunteers the opportunity to speak with people about everything from active retirement to plans for the future of Ilkley's railway station.
John Hancock of Ilkley & District u3a said:
"The response exceeded our expectations. In the past six weeks over 50 people have joined u3a. The free coffee was a great conversation starter, but the real success was having many in-depth conversations about what u3a has to offer. Retirement is an exciting new chapter, and our aim is to help people stay active, make new friends and continue learning through more than 100 interest groups, talks, social events and volunteering opportunities."
Friends of Ilkley Rail Station used the event to highlight its vision of creating a more attractive, welcoming and sustainable transport hub at the heart of the town.
Stephen Thornton for FOIRS said:
"Our station is much more than somewhere to catch a train. It's the gateway to Ilkley. We want it to be somewhere that gives visitors a great first impression while providing a welcoming community space for local people. Working alongside Ilkley u3a showed how local organisations can achieve far more by working together."
Emails have been sent to all 50 winners explaining how they can collect their complimentary takeaway drink from La Stazione over the coming weeks.
Both organisations hope this will be the first of many joint community initiatives, bringing together volunteers who share a commitment to making Ilkley an even better place to live, visit and enjoy.
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