A WAR of words has erupted after Virgin Trains announced its intention to “evict” a social enterprise firm from Carlisle’s Citadel railway station.

Creative Wellbeing - which says that it has helped thousands of local people achieve better mental health through artistic activities - has been based at the station since 2014.

Virgin Trains invited them to use rooms there as the organisation pursued its goals, providing more than 1,600 free creative activities to some of the area’s most vulnerable people.

But the group says the company presented it with an “eviction notice”, giving them just 14 days to leave.

Feeling such a tight deadline was unreasonable, the group appealed against the notice and was granted an further 28 days.

“We feel completely blind-sided,” said Creative Wellbeing founder Rebecca Mellor.

“We were in the process of negotiating the future of our tenancy. We were of the understanding that we were here for a long period of time, and the tenancy that we were offered was until 2022.”

An online statement from the group declares: “We have tried everything to reverse the decision to no avail and now find ourselves homeless.

“We are currently unfunded and unable to engage the kind of legal support Virgin Trains enjoys.

“Our upcoming programme of events promoting positive mental health and creativity during the remaining weeks running up to Christmas and the new year - a time when many feel at their most isolated and in most need of our support - has been scrapped.”

Rebecca, 36, from Brampton, said: “We direct people to the Samaritans, to Re-Think Mental illness and Mind, and we have actual physical one-to-one contact with people who need support and we offer support and signposting.”

Distressed, Rebecca added: “I have had to cancel all the activities we had planned before Christmas. There was a load of work that I have had to back out of because this has completely taken over everything.

“Now it feels that all that hard work, all that energy, all that time, the love, the commitment, the finances, the resources are being thrown under the train by Virgin Trains.”

On its website, Creative Wellbeing explains its mission in the following way: “Creative Wellbeing is a multi-award-winning non-profit social enterprise working with individuals, communities and businesses to enhance personal and social wellbeing since 2013.

“We know that creativity can enhance personal and community wellbeing, help people develop resilience and problem-solving skills, be a vehicle to meet new people, and to think about things differently.

“We think everyone should have an opportunity to flourish and prosper—to thrive together.

“We deliver nationally and we’re looking forward to promoting creativity and wellbeing everywhere for a further five years, and beyond.”

Elsewhere on its website, the group - describing itself as a “lifeline for those who use it - said it gets referrals from the statutory and charity organisations..

“Now all that is in jeopardy and our future up in the air,” says the statement “After years of reassurance and promises, we are truly having the rug pulled out from beneath us.”

A Virgin Trains spokesman said: “Virgin Trains have supported Creative Wellbeing for over four years by offering them a rent-free space at Carlisle station and during that period they have not been required to make any financial contribution to services or facilities.

“We have also helped with gifts in kind to support their work.”

The statement continued: “Despite our longstanding support however, Creative Wellbeing’s behaviour has not been in line with our expectations. We have engaged with them on numerous occasions prior to reaching this decision including seeking their agreement to sign a lease.

“They have been unwilling to sign without making a series of unreasonable demands and stipulations. It’s unfortunate that we therefore had to write to Creative Wellbeing to give them six weeks’ notice to vacate the premises.”

Asked what the unreasonable demands were, Virgin Trains declined to comment further.