HS2 Funds celebrates a key project milestone reached in 2024 – the award of the 300th grant to support communities along the line of route who are disrupted by the construction of the railway.
Over the past 8 years, a total of 306 awards along the London to the West Midlands route have been funded, including 64 projects in the West Midlands, 54 projects in Greater London, 183 projects in the Central area and 5 cross border projects.
Benefitting from the Funds includes 60 projects linked to HS2’s Green Corridor initiative, 91 which have enhanced community facilities and 11 projects that promoted heritage or improved heritage assets.
In addition to this, 30 play areas and 43 sports facilities have been enhanced, and 27 projects with a focus on health and wellbeing were funded.
Funds are available for projects that are supporting communities disrupted by the construction of HS2 between London and the West Midlands; the Community and Environment Fund and the Business and Local Economy Fund.
It is fantastic to reach the programme’s 300th award milestone at the end of 2024! We have had the privilege since 2017 to support via the Funds a huge variety of locally designed and led projects along the HS2 line of route which provide positive benefits to residents and their communities. We aim to be a responsive grant-maker, providing feedback and support to applicants, aiming to support projects with potential that meet the criteria to gain the tangible benefits of the Funds. CEF and BLEF each year supports new types of projects and well-established ones, growing each time the range of support we can offer to diverse communities.
Cathy Elliott, Independent Chair of CEF and BLEF
It would be forgivable to start the New Year with some trepidation as extreme weather batters our shores, the cost of living continues to rise and social media fosters more division than debate. We know that one of the best antidotes to this anxiety is to support communities to take action for themselves – giving them the funds, the support and the power to improve their local environment, to bring people together to increase understanding and to deliver projects and services that help the most vulnerable. This is what HS2 Funds are all about, and I’m delighted that we’re able to announce our 300th award, demonstrating the creativity and commitment of communities along the line of the route.
Graham Duxbury, Groundwork’s UK Chief Executive
Read about some of the projects we have supported so far.
