GROUPS lying close to a multi-billion pound rail project can apply for funds of up to £20,000.
Bosses behind the TransPennine Route Upgrade, which will see 70 miles of track – part of which runs through Tameside – electrified and alterations made to stations, will distribute £175,000 to causes.
And if a project is delivered in an area within five miles of either the main or diversionary routes and in the 50 per cent most deprived areas as measured by the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), small grants of £1,000 to £5,000 or larger medium grants can be applied for.
That second criterion has been met with disappointment by some close to the main route as there may be causes within areas that are not included that need money.
But TRU has opened the application process for local community groups, schools and charities looking to improve local spaces and services.
Funding criteria is based on aligning with or contributing towards one or more of the four pillars of the scheme’s ‘guiding compass.’
Northern jobs – job opportunities or upskilling and work experience for local people.
Enhanced environment – reducing the carbon footprint or adopting circular economy principals and supporting sustainability.
Satisfied customers – a safe, reliable and accessible railway for local people and working with our communities – investing in wellbeing, education and community spaces.
Applications for small grants can be made until September 16 while submissions for medium grants – £5,000-£20,000 – can be made between August 19 and September 30.
The Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisation (GMCVO) is overseeing the scheme and to qualify, bodies must be not-for-profit community projects.
Priority will be given to projects that improve or encourage the use of public spaces, in under-represented communities and areas where public transport is lacking.
It expects to help between 17 and 22 smaller projects and four and six medium ones will be helped.
A GMCVO spokesman said: “Both the small and medium grants funding can be used to cover many costs within the organisation, such as staff time, equipment, room hire, materials, etc.
“However, we would expect that this is good value for money and that the costs are a direct relation to your project as described in the application.”