Customer and Communities Improvement Fund

The Customer and Communities Improvement Fund (CCIF) is South Western Railway’s programme to support projects that have a community benefit or address an area of social need across our network.

CCIF is intended to support small and medium-sized projects which can be completed over the course of the year. Across all previous rounds of funding, we have supported over 100 projects with a value of more than £7million. Across our network, this funding has gone towards important local causes and initiatives, delivering extensive social value and benefit.

An important part of CCIF is that it involves customers and stakeholders in helping inform which schemes are taken forward. Once a final list of preferred schemes has been finalised, it is submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) which will make the final decision on which schemes go ahead.

Latest round of CCIF 2024/25

We were pleased to be able to confirm £400,000 of investment in 15 community projects for this year’s round of CCIF. With a further £400,000 provided by bidders in match funding, it takes SWR’s total investment through CCIF to more than £7.5 million since 2018.

The 2024/25 CCIF scheme supports projects that will provide a local community benefit or address an area of social need. Funding has been awarded to a wide range of activities, from developing a new community centre that will encourage exercise and healthier living in Pinhoe, Devon, to teaching cycling mechanics to under-represented groups in Hounslow, London.

Individual CCIF grants range from just a few thousand pounds to tens of thousands. On the Isle of Wight for example, £3,300 has been awarded to Vectis Radio, for an initiative that helps young people to build their confidence and improve their communication skills by learning the key areas of radio communication.

A grant of just under £20,000 to Oasis Hub Mayfield, allows them to purchase a Youth Outreach Van which will be used to in their work with young people at risk of antisocial behaviour or suicide around three train stations in the east of Southampton.

At the other end of the scale, the largest grant of £50,000 will help Portsmouth City Council link the Hilsea Linear Park – the UK’s longest urban park - with Hilsea railway station. The project will improve journeys for both commuters and the local community by installing CCTV and improving lighting and wayfinding signs.

All of the projects to be awarded funding, which have been submitted by charities, community groups and local authorities, will be completed by the end of April 2025.

Match funding for these projects will have come from a variety of sources, including local authorities, banks and charitable trusts.

The projects being supported in the latest round of CCIF funding are:

Project	CCIF grant	Organisation	Area	Description
Pinhoe Community Cycle Hub	£40,000.00	Pinhoe Community Hub	Pinhoe, Devon	Pinhoe Community Hub is a community-led initiative to develop a new community centre adjacent to Pinhoe Railway Station with an anti-vandal Eco Cycle Hub to encourage exercise and healthier living.
Totem and Digital Poster	£16,000.00	Purbeck Community Rail Partnership (CRP)	Dorchester, Dorset	Installation of a Totem (Interactive) Information Point which will promotes the town and encourage public transport use.
Youth Outreach Van	£19,200.00	Oasis Hub Mayfield	Sholing, Woolston and Bitterne, Hampshire	The grant is funding a mobile outreach van to target young people at risk of antisocial behaviour or suicide around the three train stations in the east of Southampton.
Ride leader and targeted engagement	£44,500.00	PEDALL Inclusive Cycling in the New Forest	Ashurst and Brockenhurst, Hampshire	The project enables people who wouldn’t ordinarily be able to get on a cycle to get outside, get active, improve their mental and physical well-being, tackle social isolation and reconnect with nature and enjoy the wonders of the New Forest.
Hilsea Station to Linear Park Link	£50,000.00	Portsmouth City Council	Hilsea, Hampshire	The aim of the project is to improve journeys for commuters and the Hilsea community by linking the Linear Park and Hilsea railway station. This will be achieved by installing CCTV, improving lighting and wayfinding signs.
Senior Saints	£17,000.00	Saints Foundation	Southampton, Hampshire	Senior Saints, a Saints Foundation project, strives to help those over 60, living in Southampton, improve and maintain their independence through a mixture of physical exercise and social activities.
Let's Get Digital	£44,063.00	Solent Mind	Southampton, Hampshire	Let’s Get Digital is an 8-week course of 2-hour sessions, teaching service users the fundamentals of using computers, phones, and tablets. Devices are supplied if users do not own or cannot afford one. Digital Champions show users how to access services and mental health resources, improve their digital confidence, and how to communicate online.
County lines outreach	£49,625.91	No Limits	Southampton, Hampshire	Direct train lines from London to Basingstoke, Portsmouth and Southampton increase risks of vulnerable children and young people being recruited for County Lines and other criminal activity. No Limits supports vulnerable children and young people across Hampshire through youth work, support and specialist services.
Mission Marketplaces	£35,250.00	Southampton City Mission	Southampton, Hampshire	Southampton City Missions Marketplace projects are based in areas of deprivation across Southampton. They provide holistic support to people facing food insecurity, including access to good quality affordable food, advice services and a supportive community
Road and Rail Safety Workshops	£8,830.40	Isle of Wight and New Forest Community Rail Partnership	Isle of Wight and New Forest, Hampshire	The CRP and Isle of Wight Council intend to write and produce a film promoting rail and road safety. The CRP will use it to deliver workshops to year 10 pupils in 10 schools on the Isle of Wight and 6 in the New Forest.
Community-focused cookery lessons	£9,275.00	Ryde Town Council	Ryde, Isle of Wight	To promote community health and well-being, Ryde Town Council are looking to offer a series of cookery lessons with the aim of reaching as many of the community as possible.
The Vectis Radio 4Ps Training School	£3,300.00	Vectis Radio	Ryde, Isle of Wight	Helping young people on the Island to build their confidence and improve their communication skills resulting in them having greater life chances through learning the key areas of radio communication
Suit Yourself	£12,810.00	Isle of Wight Community Rail Partnership	Sandown, Isle of Wight	Suit Yourself is a 10-week, self-esteem course for vulnerable women who would like to go back to work or education but suffer from low confidence and self-esteem and face barriers to seeking employment.
Cycle Repair Training	£23,280.00	London Borough of Hounslow	Hounslow, Greater London	This project provides formal training to under-represented groups in cycling to become qualified cycling mechanics.
South Bank Support Worker	£25,000.00	South Bank Bid Limited	London	This project is to fund a second full time dedicated Outreach Worker for the Waterloo Area, sitting within the Lambeth Council commissioned Outreach Team run by Thames Reach.