Paul’s Place is proud to announce that we will be adopting The Music Train, a much-loved community initiative founded and facilitated by local volunteer Liz Gray, from 5th January 2026. 

Since its beginnings at the Avon Valley Railway, The Music Train has grown into an inclusive and highly valued programme, bringing people together through accessible live music. The initiative welcomes individuals with a wide range of support needs and has become a powerful source of joy, connection and community engagement. In the 2024/25 financial year alone, The Music Train hosted 152 events, welcoming 7,737 attendees, and to date has delivered more than 700 events across Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and beyond.

Paul’s Place has worked closely with Liz Gray and Milestones Trust to ensure the long-term sustainability of The Music Train. As funding landscapes have changed in recent years, it became increasingly challenging for Milestones Trust to secure grant funding for the initiative. Recognising the importance and impact of The Music Train, all parties were committed to finding a solution that would protect its future and allow it to thrive.

We are delighted to take on this responsibility and to provide a stable, supportive home for The Music Train moving forward. The programme aligns closely with Paul’s Place’s mission to enhance the lives of disabled adults by providing opportunities that reduce isolation, improve health and wellbeing, and enable people to enjoy new experiences and live life to the full.

Importantly, attendees can expect the Music Train to continue as they know it: the same accessible, live music events, held at the same venues, with the same welcoming spirit. Aside from some minor branding changes, the experience will remain unchanged.

We would like to thank Liz Gray for her dedication and outstanding contribution to The Music Train and the wider community, and to thank Milestones Trust for their support and collaboration in making this transition possible.

Lynda Williams, CEO of Paul’s Place, said:
“We are honoured to be adopting The Music Train and look forward to working closely with Liz to ensure this much-loved and essential service not only continues but grows. It is an outstanding project that aligns perfectly with Paul’s Place’s mission to enhance the lives of disabled adults.”

Liz Gray said:
I am very excited that the Music Train is to be adopted by Paul’s Place. This will ensure that The Music Train will continue to enrich the lives of the people who Milestones Trust support and the wider community and possibly spread out to even more communities.

Hilary Crowhurst, Milestones Trust CEO said: “We are so grateful to Liz for her outstanding service to the local community and to the Music Train as a volunteer – in fact, for everything she has done. And we’re also grateful to the Executive team and Trustees of Paul’s Place for adopting Music Train as their own, and ensuring its success long into the future.”

 Paul’s Place is excited to support the next chapter of The Music Train and looks forward to seeing it continue to enrich lives for many years to come.

For more information and to find out about The Music Train and it’s events, please visit the Facebook Page.