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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.
LifeCare Edinburgh
LifeCare Edinburgh provides vital support to older people who are living with dementia, poor health or mobility issues, and those who care for them.
Thanks to funding from the LNER CCIF, the charity has been able to deliver its ‘Caring Connections’ project, benefiting around 180 local people over a twelve-month period. LifeCare’s activities provide much needed respite and support for unpaid carers too, many of whom are often older themselves.
See more
Findhorn Watershed Initiative
The Findhorn Watershed Initiative was launched by the Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Rivers Trust as an accelerated, collaborative landscape-scale programme of habitat restoration, carbon sequestration, and river stewardship.
The programme is a multi-generational vision to restore a mosaic of nature rich habitats, foster a local culture of nature connection, and enable a thriving nature-positive economy across the River Findhorn catchment area.
See more
Henshaw's
A charity which empowers people living with sight loss and a range of disabilities has opened a dedicated multi-sensory room with funding from LNER’s Customer & Community Investment Fund (CCIF).
The new multi-sensory room includes a craft zone, comfy seating, colour-changing mood lighting, bubble machines and more, providing immersive experiences where people can relax or enjoy arts and crafts and the surroundings.
See more
A Rehearsal For Life: Forum Theatre for Young Adults with Disabilities
With support from the Customer & Community Investment Fund, Next Door But One is delivering bespoke workshops of Forum Theatre; an arts intervention tool providing a `rehearsal for life’. Which provides important life lessons for young adults who are neurodiverse or have learning difficulties in conjunction with staff and members of The Snappy Trust.
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MHA
The ‘Let’s Get Living’ project, funded by LNER's Customer & Community Investment Fund, has enabled Methodist Homes Association (MHA) to organise almost a hundred daytrips for older people in West Yorkshire and the Northeast Region.
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The Launchpad Collective
We are excited to be working with The Launchpad Collective to help deliver a programme that focuses on providing tailored work-readiness training, digital skills development, and vocational opportunities to marginalised refugees and asylum seekers with the right to work.
The project aims to foster integration into local communities and contribute to economic growth by creating a skilled, inclusive workforce.
See more
LifeCare Edinburgh
LifeCare Edinburgh provides vital support to older people who are living with dementia, poor health or mobility issues, and those who care for them.
Thanks to funding from the LNER CCIF, the charity has been able to deliver its ‘Caring Connections’ project, benefiting around 180 local people over a twelve-month period. LifeCare’s activities provide much needed respite and support for unpaid carers too, many of whom are often older themselves.
See moreFindhorn Watershed Initiative
The Findhorn Watershed Initiative was launched by the Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Rivers Trust as an accelerated, collaborative landscape-scale programme of habitat restoration, carbon sequestration, and river stewardship.
The programme is a multi-generational vision to restore a mosaic of nature rich habitats, foster a local culture of nature connection, and enable a thriving nature-positive economy across the River Findhorn catchment area.
See moreHenshaw's
A charity which empowers people living with sight loss and a range of disabilities has opened a dedicated multi-sensory room with funding from LNER’s Customer & Community Investment Fund (CCIF).
The new multi-sensory room includes a craft zone, comfy seating, colour-changing mood lighting, bubble machines and more, providing immersive experiences where people can relax or enjoy arts and crafts and the surroundings.
See moreA Rehearsal For Life: Forum Theatre for Young Adults with Disabilities
With support from the Customer & Community Investment Fund, Next Door But One is delivering bespoke workshops of Forum Theatre; an arts intervention tool providing a `rehearsal for life’. Which provides important life lessons for young adults who are neurodiverse or have learning difficulties in conjunction with staff and members of The Snappy Trust.
See moreMHA
The ‘Let’s Get Living’ project, funded by LNER's Customer & Community Investment Fund, has enabled Methodist Homes Association (MHA) to organise almost a hundred daytrips for older people in West Yorkshire and the Northeast Region.
See moreThe Launchpad Collective
We are excited to be working with The Launchpad Collective to help deliver a programme that focuses on providing tailored work-readiness training, digital skills development, and vocational opportunities to marginalised refugees and asylum seekers with the right to work.
The project aims to foster integration into local communities and contribute to economic growth by creating a skilled, inclusive workforce.
See more
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.
