West Midlands Railway (WMR) is making grants of up to £10,000 available to communities through the latest round of its “Your Community, Your Fund” scheme which is funded by the Department for Transport.

The scheme is designed to encourage people to get involved with the railway and to support established groups that have ideas for worthwhile projects at their local stations or in their communities.

Communities from across West Midlands Railway’s network are now being invited to submit novel ideas that will help to transform their areas.

The scheme is now in its third year, and previous “Your Community, Your Fund” projects have included promoting fitness and well-being for rail passengers and installing plaques at stations to promote and celebrate the West Midlands musical heritage.

Applications to be considered for a grant from the Your Community, Your Fund” scheme can be submitted until Thursday, 14th September 2023, and there is a deadline of February next year for all projects under the scheme to be completed. Further information about the scheme is available online at www.wmr.uk/ycyf

A previous project to benefit from the scheme was tree planting on the approach road to Long Buckby station in Northamptonshire.

West Midlands Trains operates both West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services, with West Midlands Railway operating services across the West Midlands via Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Snow Hill, and London Northwestern Railway operating services between Liverpool and Birmingham, and on the West Coast Main Line to London Euston.

Cara Higgs, community strategy manager for West Midlands Railway, said: “We are excited to once again open our popular ‘Your Community, Your Fund’ scheme for applications from our communities.

“Our communities are the lifeblood of the railway and having already funded dozens of innovative schemes in previous years, we are excited to see what ideas our passengers will come up with.”