GTR opens funding applications for social and environmental projects

Govia Thameslink Railway launches half million pound fund for social and environmental projects

• Almost half a million pounds available for community organisations
• Applications are open for funding bids to bring ideas to life
• Groups located near any Great Northern, Southern or Thameslink stations can apply

Community groups across the south east, from as far north as Peterborough, Cambridge and King’s Lynn to Brighton, Eastbourne and Chichester in the south, can apply for a share of almost half a million pounds worth of grants from the country’s largest train company.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is inviting community organisations to bid for funding from its Your Station, Your Community scheme – which is on track to invest more than £1 million over three years in projects which strengthen the ties between stations and the communities they serve.

This year, the Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express operator has added additional categories to the £448,000 scheme – including funding for two creative and horticultural experts covering its 236 stations.

Projects which involve the station and make a difference to the community are eligible, focusing on six key themes:

• Positive mental health
• Diversity and inclusion
• Employability and confidence building
• Improving station environment
• Environmental sustainability
• Railway 200 (new for 2025, to celebrate the birth of the modern railway. See editor’s notes.)

Organisations and individuals working in the creative and horticultural industries are also being encouraged to apply for one of two £25,000 Station Partner Support Grants to share their expertise with station partners in realising at least three new projects.

Successful bids could include projects to refurbish new spaces for communities to use, or encourage new groups to take the train.

This year, for the 2024/25 funding tranche, 37 social and community impact projects were chosen from more than 200 bids across the 11 counties the train company serves.

These include the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, which is working with West Sussex County Council and the police to support young people identified as being at the centre of gangs, drugs, and antisocial behaviour in the region.

GTR is also funding the Lambeth Repair Cafe, where volunteers mend broken items in a social setting – building confidence and sharing useful skills in the process. (See related content.)

Support ranges from £300 to £50,000 – with previous projects predicted to have generated £150 million in social value.

Patrick Ladbury, GTR’s Senior Community Partnerships Manager, said: “Our services and stations play an important part in every community which they serve.

“With this funding, we want to support and impact on issues that are important to the people who live and work around our stations, be it through outreach projects, development schemes, or even art installations.

“We look forward to hearing your proposals to make big changes across our network, from Peterborough to Brighton and everywhere in between."

Prospective applicants are encouraged to apply before the closing date on 18 December. Funding should be for projects that require one-off funding, rather than long-term financial support such as employment.

The scheme will need to show how it strengthens links between the GTR network and the areas it serves – with clear plans on how the project will be delivered.

Final approval of each grant award will be made by the Department for Transport.

Details on where to apply, and further guidance, can be found on the Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern websites under the dedicated Your Station, Your Community pages at thameslinkrailway.com/ysyc, southernrailway.com/ysyc and greatnorthernrail.com/ysyc

Notes to editors:

Railway 200 is an industry-wide celebration next year to mark the bicentenary of passenger rail travel in the UK.

On September 27, 1825, George Stephenson’s Locomotion No. 1 – the world’s first passenger train – carried more than 400 people along the Stockton and Darlington Railway, kickstarting two centuries of railway innovation.

The celebrations will start in January 2025 and bring a wide variety of activities and events to the network.

For more information, visit railway200.co.uk

ENDS