Your community project could be on track for funding

Are you involved in a local project that enhances your community, addresses social need and celebrates the railway?

Great Western Railway has launched a Customer and Community Improvement Fund to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the modern railway and is looking to sponsor projects in South Wales and South West England.

From funding an armoured heart sculpture to raise awareness of knife crime in Reading to supporting young people through sport in South Wales, GWR is committed to helping schools, colleges, councils, community and other not-for-profit organisations by aiding several initiatives.

Recently successful projects have included:

• £20,000 towards County in the Community, a project in South Wales supporting young people through sport.

• £3,700 for a project to create giant swathes of bee-friendly blooms across Freshford and Limpley Stoke.

• £25,000 for a project to capture lost heritage surrounding Devon's branch line railways.

  
  

Projects must show a link to the railway and offer a tangible benefit to customers and the community with an emphasis on inclusion and diversity, youth engagement, careers in rail and increasing rail travel.

GWR Senior Community Impact Manager, Emma Morris, said: "Our Customer and Community Improvement Fund is a fantastic opportunity for us to invest locally in projects that have a positive impact for our customers and our communities, especially as we celebrate 200 years of the railway.

"We have had a broad range of bids that have been successful in the past; from small projects looking at the history and heritage of GWR stations, wayfinding schemes making it easier for people to navigate to and from the station, to outreach programmes focusing on careers in the railway encouraging inclusion and diversity.

"We are committed to improving the journeys of our passengers, as well as the economic prosperity and social footprint of the regions and communities we serve, and we look forward to receiving a variety of bids which will have positive local impact."

To find out more about the fund, submit an application, or find our guidance booklet, please click here.  Schemes must be delivered and completed by the end of March 2026.

Applications must be submitted before midnight on Friday 31 January. 

Each proposal will be treated on its own merits, its connection to the railway and consideration of the benefit it would bring to the community.

You can find out more or submit your application here.