Charities urged to apply for vital LNER community funding 

Grants of up to £10,000 are available to small and medium-sized charities based within 15 miles of the East Coast Main Line for projects that support LNER's three key priorities: better for planet, better for people and better for places.

Interest in the fund continues to grow, with more than 400 applications in the latest funding round. Seventeen projects were selected for support, helping deliver tangible benefits to local people and communities.

Among the organisations to have benefited previously is East Lothian environmental charity Balanced Horizon, which is now encouraging other groups to put themselves forward.

Balanced Horizon works to protect biodiversity and promotes coastal restoration across Scotland. It has used the award to buy a quad bike, enabling the team to carry out large-scale coastal clean-ups. Balanced Horizon has removed debris following winter storms, and it uses the bike to support tree planting and habitat recovery.

Kerrie Flockheart, Project Lead at Balanced Horizon, said:

We're very grateful to LNER for funding our new quad bike. It allows us to quickly remove larger items washed up on our beaches and reach more remote areas that were previously difficult to access, making it a real asset to the charity and helping us expand the work we do. We would encourage other organisations to submit a bid for CCIF funding.

Recyke y’Bike, based in Newcastle, were also awarded CCIF funding. The charity promotes environmental sustainability, active travel and social inclusion through bicycle reuse, repair, and skills development.

Fran Welsh, Charitable Operations Manager at Recyke y’Bike, said:

The grant we received from LNER allowed us to deliver a number of projects that get more people riding and fixing bikes. It has enabled us to buy new volunteer tools to support our mission to stop bikes from ending up in landfill.

"The grant has also allowed us to develop the work we do with our supported volunteering and Bike MOT schemes, that help build skills, sense of purpose and community. We found the fund and support from LNER has helped to make a real difference for people and we would encourage other charities to apply.

In Yorkshire, the Aire Rivers Trust, a charity dedicated to preserving the River Aire, works to improve biodiversity through river clean-ups and data-gathering projects across Yorkshire. The LNER funding helped it to recruit and train more volunteers to collect data, which can highlight vulnerable areas and shape future restoration projects.

Sam Riley-Gunn, Citizen Science Officer for the Aire Rivers Trust, said:

The LNER funding helped us to expand our Riverfly monitoring into North Leeds, allowing us to highlight some of the most polluted stretches of river in the Aire Catchment.

“This programme has played a big part in our efforts to protect the river, while working closely with different groups and members of our local community. We would encourage other charities to submit a bid for this year's CCIF funding.

More details about the CCIF and the application process can be found here: Customer & Community Investment Fund | LNER

Rachael Wilson,Community Investment Manager at LNER, said:

Our communities are at the heart of everything we do. Through the Customer and Community Investment Fund, we are proud to support organisations delivering positive change for people, places and the environment.

“We look forward to receiving applications from charities and community groups whose work is helping to build stronger, more sustainable communities across the LNER route.