Salt of the Earth: Meet Lisa and Alan Williams who are on the right track in Staintondale

We hoped to discover the unsung heroes who were visiting their neighbours each day to ensure that their lunch was made, or to find the teenager who helped care for an elderly relative’s garden.

What we didn’t expect was the immense number of ways it is possible for people to help each other, and we’re incredibly proud of our readers for giving us the kind of stories we want to write about week in and week out.

The coronavirus outbreak has revealed a massive amount of good neighbours in our area, hundreds of volunteers have stepped forward to deliver food and prescriptions to those who are shielding, and many delivered cakes and hand-made PPE and other items to our hard-working key workers.

This week’s Salts of the Earth are Alan and Lisa Williams, from Staintondale. Since retiring they have made a huge impact on the lives of countless people around them.

Lisa and Alan’s community spirit reaches far beyond the boundaries of the village of Staintondale where they live, in fact, as Alan is chairman of the Esk Valley Railway Development Company (EVRDC) they stretch through the North York Moors to Middlesbrough and beyond.

Alan, 76, spent much of his working life as a journalist, in an impressive career which included time at the BBC before a stint being seconded to 10 Downing Street under Margaret Thatcher’s chief press secretary, Bernard Ingham.

After this he went to work for the Post Office as board member for External Relations. Lisa said: “When I met Alan I was an events organiser running my own business, the Post Office needed someone to coordinate their Jazz receptions and took me on as Jazz consultant.”

The rest is history.

The couple moved to Yorkshire just over 10 years ago when Alan retired.

He said “I grew up around railways, both of my grandfathers worked for the railway and they’ve always fascinated me.

The couple immediately set about creating a miniature railway in their back garden, with the intention of holding several fundraising afternoons for local charities each year including MacMillan, Guide Dogs for the Blind and blood cancer charity Bloodwise.

The railway took three years to build with the help of friends and family, who often stay in an attractive shepherd’s hut in the garden.

To date the charity afternoons which in normal times run once a month during the summer have raised more than £20,000. At present they are unlikely to go ahead this year.

Lisa, who celebrated her 60th birthday on the day lockdown was introduced, said the couple looked for other ways they could help people: “We are always keen to help the community wherever we can.

“We looked at what we could do and had a chat with Trish Kinsella at the Rainbow Centre. I asked her if it would help if we did some cooking and she said yes.

“I’ve made loads of soup and pork balls.

“My colleague Sally is also making re-useable face masks which are for sale through the Community Rail Partnership website. All the profits from these are being donated to Alzheimer’s UK in support of the Esk Valley Railways association with the dementia train.”

The Forget-Me-Not train is another of the couple’s ventures which is on hold due to the pandemic, but Lisa and Alan hope it won’t be too long before they can get it underway again. Safety, as always, will be the main consideration. It’s very much missed by those who use it.

Forget-Me-Not train regular Graham Porter, who travels with dementia sufferer Paul Higgins, said: “Lisa and Alan are two of the nicest people you could ever meet and put so much time into making all users of the train feel very welcome.

“They always have a smile on their face and make me and Paul feel very welcome. We feel like part of the family.”

The Forget Me Not train provides a really memorable day and an opportunity for me and Paul to socialise and create memories.”

The community rail partnership was also instrumental in introducing the early morning commuter service which now runs between Whitby and Middlesbrough.

Alan said: “We’re continuing to fight for the right service, branch lines are often bottom of the list when it comes to improvements.”

The EVRDC also ensures that all stations along the line have adopters to keep them spick and span, from Beyond Boundaries at Commondale to those who live in the station house at Glaisdale.

When they’re not forced to shield, Alan and Lisa are community first responders and are also both on the Staintondale Village Hall Committee.

The couple also creates the Staintondale and Ravenscar newsletter which they have continued to produce during lockdown with the help of Prontaprint. Alongside information about what’s going on in the area, Lisa also includes recipes for items which have been hard to find in shops including a recipe for Beer Bread which avoided the need for yeast.

When asked why they do what they do Alan said: “I believe you should support the Community you live in.”

Lisa summed it up perfectly when she said “Abu Ben Adhem wrote " Write me as one that loves his fellow men." It's as simple as that, having been brought up with a Mum that believed cooking or baking for someone with problems was the best thing to do for them, it is good to continue her tradition.”

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Yorkshire Weeklies