Rail fund open

SOUTH Western Railway is inviting applications for the next round of its Customer and Communities Improvement Fund (CCIF).

CCIF supports small and medium-sized projects with a community benefit, or that address an area of social need somewhere on the SWR network, which includes Berkshire.

The latest funding round is open, with applications judged on criteria including: addressing community or social need, demonstration of benefits, alignment with SWRs charitable giving policy, and links to the railway

SWR welcomes bids from grassroots or neighbourhood groups, local authorities, elected representatives, civic societies, charities, sports teams, social clubs, or any other organisation with a great idea for how CCIF may be able to help their community.

Applications can be submitted until the end of Sunday, December 31.

Any proposed project must be completed by March 31, 2025.

Since the launch of the first round of CCIF in 2018, SWR has awarded more than £7 million in funding to a wide range of projects. This year, for the 2023-24 round, grant funding was awarded to 58 projects.

Peter Williams, South Western Railway’s customer and commercial director, said:

“It has been wonderful to see the real difference that CCIF grants delivered by SWR have been making to the communities we are proud to serve across our region.

“We are delighted to confirm that we are now accepting applications for the next round, and we look forward to seeing the diverse range of proposals customers and communities will have for enhancing local areas.

“If you have an idea for how a CCIF grant could benefit your community, or would like to find out more, we warmly encourage you to get in touch.”

More information about how to submit a proposal can be found on SWR’s CCIF webpage at www. southwesternrailway.com/ccif.