GTR awards over £400,000 in grants to community projects

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has announced that it has allocated £448,000 in grants to 37 organisations through its annual “Your Station, Your Community” fund for 2024-25. The grants, ranging from £300 to £40,000, support various initiatives focused on mental health, homelessness, anti-social behaviour, environmental sustainability and accessibility. Larger awards are distributed over two years.

The funding comes as part of GTR’s commitment to enhancing local communities near its stations. 2023’s funded projects generated an estimated £150 million in social value, and GTR aims to exceed this figure with this year’s increased budget.

Among the funded projects in London are:

• Repair Café in Brixton: Volunteers at this café repair broken items, fostering a sense of community and teaching practical skills
• Kentish Town City Farm: This initiative will connect individuals and families through sustainable agriculture education
• Supported Employment Programme by Union Chapel’s Margins Project: This scheme offers professional hospitality training to people experiencing homelessness or marginalization, aiming to improve their employability and quality of life.

Amanuel Woldesus, Head of Margins, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Govia Thameslink Railway and we are extremely grateful for their backing of our flagship supported employment programme. This grant will crucially ensure we can provide high-quality training and development to our trainees as part of our strength-based approach to address homelessness, whilst meeting surging demand and costs.”

The grants also extend to communities in East and West Sussex, Brighton & Hove, Surrey, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. Each project aims to deliver significant social and environmental benefits.

GTR’s Infrastructure Director, Keith Jipps, said: “The projects we supported last year will generate an estimated £150 million of social value – we’re expecting this year’s programmes to top that figure. Thanks are due to everyone who applied. The magnificent response and extremely high quality of the bids shows the incredible energy, creativity and commitment our local communities possess.”

The Department for Transport (DfT) gave final approval to all grant awards. GTR continues to collaborate with community rail partnerships and tourism bodies to maximise the programme’s reach and impact.