BCIMO

📣 The moment we’ve all been waiting for… 🎉 We’re thrilled to officially announce that the BCIMO Family Day raised £8,113.04 for our five incredible charities: The Kaleidoscope Plus Group, Railway Benefit Fund, 4Louis, Railway Children, and Young Lives vs Cancer. On Saturday 18th May, over 550 visitors and 200 contributors joined us to mark Railway 200, celebrating 200 years of the modern railway - bringing together families, rail enthusiasts, industry professionals, and community partners for a day full of discovery, celebration, and fun. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us – from visitors and volunteers to stallholders, performers, speakers, sponsors, and partners. Your support helped make the day truly unforgettable. Our full event recap is now live, including: 👉 Our feature article: https://lnkd.in/e7HiNMQ4 🎥 A highlights video produced by gold sponsor eleven10creative 📸 A photo gallery comprising photos from sponsors Brian Irvine (Biopic Photography Ltd) and Anthony Williams #BCIMOFamilyDay Will Jarman, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, MET Recruitment UK LTD, CONSTRUCT 3D, Thérèse Lord, railbusinessdaily.com, West Midlands Metro, X2 Workspaces, Powered by CAN, Black Country Touring, Black Country Radio, K2 Security Ltd, NextGen Ri, Treeva, West Midlands Trains, Skyline Catering SDN BHD, Savva Bars Events, Black Country Living Museum, Crich Tramway Village, Severn Valley Railway, Village Hotels, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Copthorne Hotel Merry Hill-Dudley, Showcase Cinemas, Black Country & Marches Institute of Technology - Dudley, Dudley College, Dudley Zoo & Castle, Dudley Council, Dudley Canal & Tunnel Trust, Black Country Radio, University of Worcester

Following our first extended Facility Tour in May, we were delighted to welcome the Branch Line Society to site today for another full tour including a walk through our 870-metre tunnel. As with our previous tour, all proceeds from today will be added to the fantastic total raised during our Family Day event! 📸 Later this week, we’ll be sharing a full write-up, photo gallery, and highlights video - including the final fundraising total for our five amazing charities: The Kaleidoscope Plus Group Railway Benefit Fund 4Louis Railway Children Young Lives vs Cancer #WatchThisSpace for the final reveal!

It’s exciting to see Coventry City Council’s Very Light Rail (CVLR) demonstrator arrive in the city centre — marking a new chapter in the project’s journey! After undergoing rigorous testing at our Rail Development & Test Site since 2022, the demonstrator has now relocated to Coventry for on-road trials along a 220-metre stretch of innovative prefabricated slab track, laid on Greyfriars Road and Queen Victoria Road. This move follows its recent public debut at our #BCIMOFamilyDay, where hundreds of visitors enjoyed an exclusive ride along the full length of our test track — including the tight 15m radius loop. This milestone represents a significant step forward in our long-standing partnership with Coventry City Council — a collaboration that was fundamental to the development of the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre (VLRNIC), supporting innovation across both the VLR sector and wider rail industry. 🎥 See it in action on last night’s BBC Midlands Today (coverage starts at 09:07) 👉 https://lnkd.in/eJ9AFekg We’re proud to have played a vital role in bringing this pioneering system to life — and can’t wait to see what the next few weeks bring in Coventry! Nicola Small

Fantastic facility tour yesterday with 15 members of Subterranea Britannica who extended their tour with a walk through our 870m tunnel. The proceeds from this tour will be added to those raised from our Family Day! We have another extended Facility Tour taking place in early June - this time with the Branch Line Society - the proceeds of which will also be added to the pot. We will then be able to announce the total raised for our five charities; The Kaleidoscope Plus Group, Railway Benefit Fund, 4Louis, Railway Children and Young Lives vs Cancer so #watchthisspace!

@danielsadventures9356 on YouTube Wow — thank you, Daniel! Your video genuinely embodies what the day was all about: bringing people together to celebrate, connect, and enjoy something special. We’re so pleased you had such a great experience — it means the world to us. https://lnkd.in/eajqcYHp

🎉 Thank You for Being Part of BCIMO Family Day! 🚂 A huge thank you to everyone who made BCIMO Family Day such a brilliant success on Saturday 17th May — whether you came along as a visitor, gave your time as a volunteer, delivered an inspiring talk or performance, showcased your business or organisation as a stallholder, supported us as a sponsor, or captured the day as a content creator. With over 550 visitors through the doors, the event was a fantastic celebration of innovation, heritage, and community — and it was all made possible thanks to your energy, support, and involvement. The day was delivered by an incredible team of volunteers who gave their time so generously, and we’ve already received some lovely feedback — thank you! 🙌 Of course, we know there are always things that can be improved, and your feedback will help us reflect on what worked well and what we could do differently if we decide to run another event in the future. 💬 We’d love to hear your thoughts: 👉 https://lnkd.in/ebYEaVhW We’ll be sharing a full round-up soon, including how much we raised for our five amazing charities, along with plenty of photos and videos from the day. If you’ve got any of your own, feel free to share them with us — we’d love to see your highlights! 📸 Thank you again for being part of something so special. We hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did! #bcimofamilyday #thankyou #CommunityEvent #blackcountry #familyfun #VeryLightRail Will Jarman, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, MET Recruitment UK LTD, The Kaleidoscope Plus Group, Railway Benefit Fund, 4Louis, Railway Children, Young Lives vs Cancer, Railway 200, eleven10creative, CONSTRUCT 3D, Thérèse Lord, railbusinessdaily.com, West Midlands Metro,X2 Workspaces, Powered by CAN, Black Country Touring, Black Country Radio, K2 Security Ltd, NextGen Ri, Treeva, West Midlands Trains, Skyline Catering SDN BHD, Savva Bars Events, Black Country Living Museum, Crich Tramway Village, Severn Valley Railway, Village Hotels, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Copthorne Hotel Merry Hill-Dudley, Showcase Cinemas, Black Country & Marches Institute of Technology - Dudley, Dudley College, Dudley Zoo & Castle, Dudley Council, Dudley Canal & Tunnel Trust, Black Country Radio, University of Worcester

Our five fantastic charities are now on stage! 💙 Hear their stories, learn how your support makes a difference, and find out what they do in our local and national communities. #BCIMOFamilyDay #CharitySupport #GivingBack #MakeADifference

There’s still more to see! 🛍️🎈 Visit Discovery Point to meet local businesses and see the Stourbridge Lion 2029 project, or head to Market Square for bubbles, balloons, face painting and gifts! #BCIMOFamilyDay #DiscoveryPoint #MarketSquare #FamilyActivities

It’s craft time! 🎨 Head to Creative Corner to get stuck into arts and crafts — from colouring to rail-themed creations, there’s something to inspire every budding artist. #BCIMOFamilyDay #CreativeCorner #ArtsAndCrafts #HandsOnFun

The fun continues at Ride Central North! 🎠 Explore traditional fairground rides and attractions, perfect for kids (and big kids too!). Grab your tokens and head for some classic fun! #BCIMOFamilyDay #RideCentralNorth #FairgroundFun #FamilyRides