Avanti West Coast has launched a new round of funding for projects designed to improve stations and create a difference in communities local to its route.
The Customer and Communities Improvement Fund (CCIF) is open for applications for initiatives that address regeneration challenges and social needs across the regions served by Avanti West Coast.
It is the fourth round of funding the intercity operator has made available to support charitable and community activities on its network, as part of CCIF. This latest investment will see money awarded to the successful bidders over a one-year period.
Charities, stakeholders, organisations, and community groups located within 10 miles of a station managed or served by the intercity operator on the West Coast Main Line, which runs between London, Scotland, and North Wales, are encouraged to submit proposals for projects that can bring positive change to local communities.
Submissions could range from schemes aimed at improving the experience at stations through giant art installations, to better integrated journeys using sustainable transport modes, or connecting young people to education or job opportunities.
Applications should consider the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals – a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. This helped shape Avanti West Coast’s thinking behind the CCIF, to create inclusive, prosperous, and connected communities.
One beneficiary of the CCIF was Sherborne Community Hub Project – a children’s gardening group and adult peer support group based on a residential estate close to Crewe town centre. They secured funding in April 2021 to continue running the hub for two years so residents of all ages could carry on benefitting from regular peer support and activity days. The funds also enabled them to transform the hub to make the outside area accessible and the inside space better equipped to accommodate a range of activities.
Andy Mellors, Managing Director of Avanti West Coast, said: “We’re delighted to be opening another round of our Customer and Communities Improvement Fund to build on the positive changes we’ve helped deliver in previous years.
“At Avanti West Coast we connect people and places to opportunity and this fund will help do just that – by supporting initiatives that matter most to those communities across our route.
“We would love for local organisations, community groups, stakeholders, and charities to bid for a share of the funding, so we can support projects that will benefit them, as well as create a difference in the regions we serve.”
For more information about CCIF and guidance on how to apply for a share of the fund, visit: https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/about-us/sustainability/community-hub
The closing date for applications is 23:59 on 12 January 2024.
Photo credit: Avanti West Coast
