Fancy a day out at Gloucester Services?

That’s how it was pitched to me, when asked to join the Active Wellbeing Society on a sharing day to learn from the work of the Gloucestershire Gateway Trust. Now, my experiences of a service station evokes a vision of fast food outlets, arcades and a random massage chair next to the toilets (Toddington & Leicester Forest East are to blame for this). Needless to say, my visit to Gloucester Services has completely transformed my views on motorway pit stops.

The fast food outlets are replaced with a ‘Quick Kitchen’, there is a restaurant serving food made from local produce, an eco-friendly indoor play area for children, and best of all, an amazing ‘Farm Shop’ complete with butchers, fish mongers and patisserie.

​All this in a building that blends seamlessly in to its stunning surroundings, with lake and walking trail for visitors to enjoy. I make no apologies for being snap happy – this place truly is a wonder on the M5. ​

What relevance does a service station have to community development?

Well, the uniqueness of Gloucester Services is that it is a model of social investment that has been created by the local community (Matson residents and other community organisations) in order to support local regeneration.

​Not without its teething problems, the project almost never happened due to opposition from other commercial operators further up the motorway. After 15 years in development, Gloucester Services has now been open for 5 years and is a successful community asset run together by the Gloucestershire Gateway Trust (GGT) and the Westmorland Family business. It offers a wide range of social, economic and environmental benefits. Its long-term plans are to open a hotel on site and aim to plough £10 million over the next 20 years back in to its neighbouring communities.  

​Look out for part two of my guest blog coming soon....