SOUTH Western Railway (SWR) is inviting applications for the latest round of its successful Customer and Communities Improvement Fund (CCIF).
CCIF is SWR’s funding programme to support projects that have a community benefit or address an area of social need across its network, which serves Berkshire, Devon, Dorset, Greater London, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Somerset, Surrey and Wiltshire.
As announced at SWR’s annual stakeholder conference last week, the new funding round has now opened, with applications judged on criteria including:
- Addressing community or social need
- Demonstration of benefits
- Deliverability against costs and timescales
- Alignment with our charitable giving policy
- Links to the railway
Match funding is not a necessity for a grant application, however having additional funding available will be considered in the scoring and judging of applications.
Applications can be submitted until Sunday 31 December 2024 and more information on the 2025/26 window can be found on SWR’s CCIF webpage.
This year, funding of £400,000 was awarded to 15 projects across the SWR network ranging from supporting an outreach worker to reach vulnerable young people around our stations in the Southampton area, to cycle repair training in the London Borough of Hounslow.
A video highlighting the work and impact of PEDALL, an inclusive cycling charity based in the New Forest, who were a leading recipient of funding in the latest round, can be viewed here.
SWR’s grant enabled PEDALL to employ a full-time ride leader to deliver inclusive cycling sessions and other community services from their base at Ashurst, opening up the New Forest for the enjoyment of groups with additional needs.
Peter Williams, South Western Railway’s Customer and Commercial Director, said:
“We’re pleased to announce that applications are now open for the latest round of our highly successful Customer and Communities Improvement Fund.
“Supporting the many local communities we serve is a priority for South Western Railway, and we look forward to receiving applications for projects that can bring them real benefit.”
