LNER Urges Charities to Apply for Community Funding Before Applications Close

Grants of up to £10,000 are available to small and medium-sized charities based within 15 miles of the LNER route, with applications set to close on 31 August 2026.

Among those urging organisations to apply is Red Chair Highland, which continues to support young people across the Scottish Highlands in their search for work by providing refurbished Chromebook laptops, one-to-one support sessions and training.

New data shows the impact the project is making within the community. By helping more young people enter education and employment, Red Chair Highland’s employability project generated a social value of over £200,000, more than twenty times the initial grant.

Kirsty Adam, Director and Operations Manager at Red Chair Highland CIC, said:

The support from LNER’s Customer and Community Investment Fund has made a real difference to the young people we work with across the Highlands. It enabled us to provide not only access to digital devices, but the practical, one-to-one support people needed to build their confidence, develop employability skills and take meaningful steps towards work, education and training.

“We would absolutely encourage other community organisations to apply. Funding like this gives smaller organisations the opportunity to respond directly to local needs and turn relatively modest investment into tangible, lasting benefits for the people and communities they support.

The National Literacy Trust also received funding for its Bradford-based literacy trail project. ‘Benny’s Big Adventure’ Story Quest inspired families to find out more about the 2025 UK City of Culture while promoting reading and learning across the district. The initiative generated a social value of more than £350,000.

Mike Leyland, Senior Programme Manager at the National Literacy Trust, said:

With support from LNER, our Benny's Big Adventure Story Quest encouraged families to read together while discovering their city in a fun and imaginative way. Combining storytelling, exploration and local history, the trail engaged hundreds of families and helped to nurture a love of reading which can have a lifelong impact on children and young people – from boosting confidence and wellbeing to improving academic performance and future outcomes.

“Following its success, we are exploring opportunities to develop new Benny the Badger adventures to reach even more children and communities. 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 in a special video shared on LNER social channels.

Rachael Wilson, Community Investment Manager at LNER, said:

The Customer and Community Investment Fund is all about supporting projects that make a real and lasting difference to the communities we serve. Over the past year, the social value generated by our fund reached almost £4 million, showing just how powerful this support can be, not only in helping charities deliver meaningful outcomes, but having a positive impact on society.

“We would encourage eligible charities to apply before our next round closes at the end of August, explaining how their project could help make their communities better for people, places and the planet. We look forward to receiving their applications!

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Since 2023/2024, LNER has collated social value data from funded organisations to measure the project’s reach and community impact. LNER uses a structured approach, taking data from charity status reports and statistics and research from the UK Government.

In partnership with the Social Value Portal, LNER calculates Social Value, the total social, economic and environmental outcomes created through each project, and Social Return On Investment (SROI), measures the value generated per £1 invested.

The full link to the CCIF video on LNER social channels is: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/the-application-window-for-our-customer-and-ugcPost-7490675285294505984-Xp4v/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAD-LJaQBN56xw3M61pu_NWQLou4s9WEYSgo