Community organisations in Sussex benefit from half-million-pound railway fund

Community organisations across the south east have been handed their share of almost half a million pounds from a fund set up by the country’s largest train operator.

The fourth year running of Govia Thameslink Railway’s Your Station, Your Community fund has seen a record £479,988.20 go towards 25 projects which benefit the diverse communities along its extensive network.

This year’s successful recipients have bid for schemes which promote a range of causes – including positive mental health, diversity and inclusion, employability and confidence building, improving the station environment, environmental sustainability and Railway 200.

More than 312 bids from across GTR’s network, which covers Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express routes, were received for the coveted scheme.

Community Engagement Manager Rob Whitehead said: “It has been great to see what our grant recipients have got up to over the past year for the benefit of the communities we serve in the south east.

“This year’s tranche of funding sets out to build on the successes of last year and help even more wonderful organisations do some truly amazing things.”

Among those receiving grant funding in the region include a theatre production set to take place under Brighton station, biodiversity schemes in Arundel and Grace Eyre, a charity which supports people with learning disabilities in the city.

The Brighton and Hove Food Partnership received £10,000 through the fund, which will go towards running cookery courses at its kitchen in the centre of Brighton for people who lack the facilities to cook food they would otherwise enjoy.

Vic Borrill, Director at Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, said: “We can’t wait to get started with the scheme. Our cookery courses are so important to our community; teaching people vital cookery skills, how to eat more healthily, and providing our participants with a space to connect with other people.

“People tell us the experience is life changing.”

Elsewhere, the De La Warr Pavilion has received the largest grant of the Your Station, Your Community fund. Some £47,000 will be dedicated to creating a safer, more creative welcome to Bexhill on Sea, celebrating the town’s heritage through working closely with local artists and various community groups.

Stewart Drew, Director and CEO of the De La Warr Pavilion Charitable Trust said: "At the De La Warr Pavilion, we’re incredibly excited to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway through the Your Station, Your Community scheme.

“By working with local community partners, we aim to ensure that when all visitors to Bexhill Station arrive on the platform, they feel safe, welcomed, and connected to our increasingly creative and dynamic town, while we also celebrate its rich heritage."

The total list of recipients in Sussex and Kent includes:

• Barnham and Eastergate Parish Council https://barnhamandeastergate-pc.gov.uk/
• Creating a planted, safe and sociable seating area at Barnham station, connecting the bus stop, pedestrian crossing, station car park and entrance.

• Bramber Bakehouse bramberbakehouse.co.uk
• Hosting baking workshops for women who have experienced violence, exploitation, and social exclusion.

• Brighton and Hove Food Partnership https://bhfood.org.uk/
• Two five-week cooking courses for people to share recipes, meals and cooking skills, and an additional three one-off courses for local refugees and migrants who lack the facility to cook food they would otherwise make and enjoy.

• De La Warr Pavilion https://www.dlwp.com/support/
• Making a safer, more creative gateway to Bexhill on Sea, celebrating the town’s heritage with interactive maps, art installations and planters.

• Greening Arundel https://www.greeningarundel.com/
• Installing a planter with a bug castle and wooden train to mark the 200th anniversary of the railway. Teenagers will also create graffiti art on a picnic table, and a poetry trail will be made through the town which starts and ends at the station.

• Grace Eyre Foundation https://www.grace-eyre.org/
• A community art project to design a mural at Preston Park station which celebrates the diversity of the community in the area – with design workshops taking place for adults with a learning disability, along with local community groups

• Havens Community Hub, Newhaven https://www.havenscommunityhub.co.uk
• The Havens Food Cooperative helps fight food waste by collecting, sorting and redistributing surplus food from 19 stores from Newhaven – feeding schools, food banks, emergency accomodation providers among other organisations.

• Hydrocracker Theatre, Brighton https://www.hydrocracker.co.uk/
• Staging a production of Charles Dickens’ ghost story The Signalman in the tunnels underneath Brighton Station

• Techresort CIC, Eastbourne https://techresort.org/
• Delivering drop-in digital skills sessions in Southern stations to combat digital exclusion, particularly in rural locations, offering assistance with services like eTickets, accessing prescription services, online banking and more.

• Time To Talk Befriending, Portslade https://www.tttb.org.uk/
• Members will connect older people who are lonely and isolated with peers, organisations and volunteers to feel closer to their communities.

• West Kent Mind https://westkentmind.org.uk/
• Hosting a programme to support young people receive immediate mental health support, decreasing the risk of serious self harm or suicide.

• Wealden Citizens Advice https://www.wealdencitizensadvice.org.uk/
• Offering information and advice to people facing a range of issues, including debt, housing, employment and benefits.

Govia Thameslink Railway has also partnered with Kew to deliver the Grow Wild on the Railway project, which will see projects developed and led by young people living locally to selected stations to improve biodiversity.

The successful projects will receive a £500 grant to develop and deliver their idea, with regular support from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew’s Grow Wild Team.

Grow Wild champions UK native plants and fungi, and inspires people to connect with nature, enhance biodiversity and take action in their communities. The young people will also have the opportunity to gain the Young Environmental Leader Award.

Polly Gifford, Kew’s Grow Wild & Youth Programme Manager, said: “We’re excited to see the launch of Grow Wild on the Railway. This funding gives young people a chance to lead creative projects that celebrate UK native plants and fungi, while making a real difference in their local communities.

“With support from our team and local station partners, they’ll gain valuable experience and inspire others to connect with nature, with the opportunity to reach huge numbers of people who pass through the stations every day."

ENDS