Volunteer organisations have been invited to apply for grants from the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) Community Fund. The TRU Community Fund has medium grants ranging from £5,000 to £20,000 available for community groups, schools, and charities along the 70-mile TRU route. The application window for these grants opened on Monday, August 19.
Small grants between £1,000 and £5,000 have been available since August 5, with a total of £175,000 in funding available. A variety of projects have already been proposed for these small grants, including a sensory garden, a community allotment, and improvements to a community hub space. Jamie McKinnon, social value manager for the Transpennine Route Upgrade, said: "We’re delighted to have already received a combined total of over 90 enquiries and applications for the small grants round since it opened at the start of August.
"With the medium grants round now opening today, we’d encourage as many local groups, charities and schools to put forward their proposals for community projects to ensure that they don’t miss out on this great opportunity for funding." The TRU Community Fund is part of the TRU's Sustainability and Social Value strategy, Our Guiding Compass. The strategy aims to create long-term benefits for the towns and communities where the project operates over the next decade.
As part of this initiative, the TRU will also provide volunteering support to successful fund recipients, with a goal of delivering 25,000 volunteering hours in the local community. Groups interested in applying for the grants can find more information on the Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisation website. The TRU Community Fund is part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade project, which aims to improve the rail network across northern England.
.
