Welcome to Reading 4 Community

Early notice GWR will be opening the Customer and Community Improvement Fund soon!!

Great Western Railway (GWR) has confirmed that they will be opening their Customer and Community Improvement Fund soon. The funder is particularly interested in bids that show a tangible benefit to the community with an emphasis on inclusion and diversity, engagement and education, environmental benefit and increasing rail travel. It would be great if the fund could help close the gap on projects where some existing funding has been secured or could be available from other sources. However, each proposal will be treated on its own merits and consideration of the benefit it would bring to the community, and we will happily fund projects without any match funding.

There are no hard and fast rules; the funder wants to encourage bids of all shapes and sizes, though to be fair, as the funding needs to cover our whole network, they are particularly keen on small and medium projects. This could include phased projects, for instance a bid for a feasibility study or some research, to support a larger project. There must be a link to the railway in every project.

For more information and to discuss any ideas you have ahead of the fund’s official opening, please email Tom Lydon, thomas.lydon@gwr.com Public Affairs Manager. The funder (GWR) is keen to encourage as many bids as possible and is very happy to listen to ideas you may have to broaden your reach.