Young volunteers at Talyllyn Railway have brought history back to life while gaining skills, confidence, and a strong sense of community through a youth-led heritage project.
The Talyllyn Railway Young Members Group (YMG) is a support network for all the young volunteers and members of the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society aged 14-25. The YMG creates a fun environment for anyone interested in or already volunteering on the railway.
The Talyllyn Railway YMG received £5,000 from the Gwynedd Youth Volunteering Grant administered by Mantell Gwynedd. The grant is part of the Welsh Government funded Youth Led Grants, an initiative that supports volunteering projects designed and delivered by young people. Each year, local panels of 14–25 year olds across Wales award funding to youth-led ideas that make a difference in their communities.
REVIVING THE GUNPOWDER VAN
Talyllyn Railway YMG used the funding to create a replica of a Gunpowder Van, a last-of-its kind wagon that once transported explosives along the railway, which had sadly been lost to time. The group proposed to replicate this unique vehicle using heritage construction techniques where possible, to better tell the story of the Slate Quarry at Bryneglwys that the Railway historically served.
Matthew, one of the lead builders and part of the committee that developed the idea, said they wanted to run a project that everybody could take part in and have a role in recreating a piece of lost heritage, something he felt was very important.
‘I have been able to connect with other volunteers on a deeper level, and formed stronger friendships, which has aided in mental health’ Matthew said. ‘Volunteering has given me a sense of pride and achievement in what we have completed.’
YOUTH IN CHARGE
Ffion also took up a leading role in the project. ‘Working on the gunpowder wagon has built up some of my woodworking and metalworking skills. I also learnt some more about the slate industry local to me through doing research for it.’ Ffion was also teaching her fellow volunteers some Welsh words related to the gunpowder wagon as the project went on, which they really enjoyed.
For Luke, volunteering at the Talyllyn Railway has been a gateway to new friendships and hands-on experience in railway operations. He volunteers in the Loco department as a passed cleaner, helping to fire up and operate locomotives or clean them before trips. He also volunteers in the traffic department as a trainee blockman and guard.
Luke said: ‘It’s made a great difference to me, I’m a lot more sociable and confident in myself since I first started and have made a lot of like-minded friends.’
INCLUSIVE VOLUNTEERING SPACE
Keira began volunteering at the Talyllyn Railway in 2019, encouraged by friends who were already involved. Drawn by its welcoming, inclusive environment especially supportive of neurodivergent and LGBTQ people, she felt a strong sense of belonging. Keira mainly volunteers in the paint shop, enjoying traditional signwriting, and has also taken part in woodworking and metalworking through the project.
‘It has helped me find people like me, and through that I’ve made some of my best friends as well as meeting my partner there too. We’ve all helped each other with things we find hard and got a lovely support network.’
Much like the Gunpowder Van itself, this project is truly one of a kind, providing a unique and vivid way for volunteers to engage with local history, while building and contributing to a wider community of their own.
VOLUNTEERS WEEK 2025
If this project has inspired you to sing the praises of volunteering and volunteers, please take the opportunity to get involved with Volunteers Week 2025.
Volunteers’ Week is an annual UK-wide campaign held from the first Monday in June to celebrate and recognise the contributions of volunteers, and you can find out more at their website.