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Customer & Community Investment Fund - IT'S OPEN

Find out more about our Customer & Community Investment fund and the charities we have helped here.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

Thanks to funding from the LNER Customer and Community Investment Fund (CCIF), Yorkshire Wildlife Trust has been able to introduce 650 metres of hedgerow and establish a new wildlife corridor which will support insects, birds and animals like dragonflies, marsh harriers and brown hares. Three new ponds have also been created, along with new grassland and crops, which will support birds such as turtle doves, yellowhammers, and grey partridges.

Durham Wildlife Trust

Durham Wildlife Trust successfully applied to the LNER Customer and Community Investment Fund (CCIF) for funding to help towards the restoration of the agricultural land, and to establish the Great North Fen Habitat. The project aimed to reseed grassland, plant new wetland plants, restore hedgerows and provide new pond environments for invertebrates, which would in turn attract breeding birds and mammals such as otters and water voles back to the area.

Wag & Company

North East charity Wag & Company aims to reduce loneliness and social isolation for older dog-lovers, who because of health or mobility reasons, are no longer able to care for their own dog. The charity currently has more than 370 volunteers, who with their dogs, give an hour or two most weeks to visit elderly people in their homes, or in care settings.

The funding provided by LNER means Wag & Company will be able to recruit and match another 40 volunteer owners and their very special dogs, enabling an extra 40 weekly home visits, or visits to up to 400 people in care homes or hospital settings.

What is the Customer & Community Investment Fund?

LNER’s Customer & Community Investment Fund (CCIF) works to support charities and causes along our route. It provides vital funding to small and medium sized projects that deliver a positive impact to issues that are important to us.

There are three priorities the fund supports: Better for People, Better for Places and Better for Planet.

  • Better for People

    • Fostering a culture of equality, that champions diversity and inclusivity.

    • Creating a culture of positive mental health, bringing people and communities together.

  • Better for Places

    • Creating skilled and inclusive communities along our networks that can thrive.

  • Better for Planet

    • Conserve resources, reduce waste and reuse where possible.

Important change to be aware of, when deciding to apply.

The maximum amount that can be applied for is £10,000.

Requests over £10,000 will not be considered and will be removed from the application process.

Preference will be given to small and medium charities over larger charities.

For further details on these areas, please click here.

Learn more about the projects we’re supporting, click here.

For any questions not covered in this section or within the FAQ’s, email CCIF@lner.co.uk.

What we're looking for

  • The application must support one of the following three priorities:

    • Better for People

    • Better for Places

    • Better for Planet

  • The application should be factual and concise, clearly outlining the identified need, the method of identification, the project deliverables, and how the grant will be utilized.

  • Provide a high-level budget breakdown, including the funding amount requested, the overall project budget, and any identified match funding.

  • Include a high-level, month-by-month project timeline.

  • Details of the primary beneficiaries and expected numbers must be provided.

  • Explain the benefits the project will deliver, what success would look like, and the mechanism for capturing and measuring the benefits and impact.

  • Funding must be spent in full, and projects completed within the financial year (April to March) in which the funding is awarded.

  • The project and charity do not need to be located within the immediate proximity of an LNER station; instead, the fund is open to those based within 15 miles of the LNER route, in England and Scotland.

Useful documents to review prior to applying

How to apply and application timeline

The Customer & Community Investment Fund, application window is open. Please click here to access the application form.

For guidance and information on completing an application, please view the CCIF Guidance Document, Application Form Template, our FAQ and Charitable Giving Policy.

Application timeline

  • 2025 Application window is OPEN

  • 2025 Application window Closed – 25th August 2025

  • Applications reviewed and shortlisting - September / October 2025

  • A shortlist of projects will be shared with the LNER community (including colleagues, stakeholders, and charities), as well as LNER customers who will be asked to help shape the final list of projects we would like to support – November 2025

  • A list of projects LNER would like to support will be submitted for approval – December 2025

  • A decision will be made on which projects will be taken forward – January to March 2026

  • Successful applicants will be notified – April / May 2026

Standard Complimentary Train Tickets

We are currently reviewing the procedure for fundraisers to request standard complimentary train tickets for travel on London North Eastern Railway trains. During this period, we cannot fulfil any new requests.