London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has issued a final call to charities located near the East Coast Main Line to apply for funding from its 2027 Customer and Community Investment Fund (CCIF).

The fund awards grants of up to ten thousand pounds to small and medium-sized charities that are based within 15 miles of the East Coast Main Line. Applications for payments from the fund this year must be submitted by Monday 31 August.

Previous recipients of grants from the fund are encouraging other charities to follow their example and apply. One example is Red Chair Highland, which used its grant to improve connectivity in the Highlands of Scotland. The organisation supports young people in the area to look for work by providing them with refurbished Chromebook laptops, one-to-one support sessions and training.

A recent analysis has shown that Red Chair Highland’s employability project has generated a social value of more than two hundred thousand pounds, which is more than twenty times the initial grant that it received from the LNER Fund. Its Director and Operations Manager, Kirsty Adam, says that the grant “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.”

The fund also awarded a grant to the National Literacy Trust for its literacy trail project in Bradford, which generated a social value of more than £350,000.

Other beneficiaries of the fund include a North Shields physical activity charity and a Yorkshire nature reserve.

“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!”

Rachael Wilson, Community Investment Manager at LNER