Dalston Junction London Overground station was given a festive makeover as part of a community event for local schoolchildren on Tuesday, 10^th December.

The event was organised by Aliyah Abdulla, head of procurement and chair of the equality, diversity & inclusion steering group, and Neal Bailey, customer experience manager, at Arriva Rail London (ARL).

Pupils from local schools were invited along to enjoy what proved to be a magical afternoon.  The children started their visit with a magical trip to Santa’s Grotto, where each child received a special gift. There was a variety of games to keep children entertained whilst they waited to meet Santa, as well as a dance competition with prizes. A local Dalston sweet shop, Hazal Nuts, also kindly provided treats for a candy stall, where pupils exchanged tokens for their favourite sweets.

Aliyah Abdulla, head of procurement and chair of the equality, diversity & inclusion steering group at Arriva Rail London, said: “It was heartwarming to see the joy on the children’s faces. ARL is committed to supporting the local area and residents along our network. Events like this help to bring our community together and create memorable experiences, especially for our youngest residents. The smiles and laughter we witnessed today are a testament to the positive impact such events can have. We hope to continue this tradition and make even more magical memories in the future.”

The festive cheer spread across ARL, with the company’s directors dressing up as elves and colleagues volunteering their time to help at the event. Service delivery manager Bentley Brooks and customer host Walé Agunbiadé also took to the decks as DJs, filling the station with Christmas songs.

Building on the success of this event, ARL will host a follow-up celebration on Friday, 13th December, at a school in Southwark. A pop-up grotto will be set up in the school’s study room, with Bentley Brooks taking on the role of Santa and customer host Darnell Casimir stepping in as his cheerful elf assistant.