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Fighting Fund

Railfuture regularly provides funding for rail campaigners to protect, enhance, and promote the railway. Our 'Fighting Fund' has a wide remit and receives applications under three categories:

  • Developing proposals for infrastructure improvements to the British railway network, such as new/re-opened stations, re-opened lines, passing loops, line speed increases, station modernisations, electrification, etc.
  • General campaigning such as producing publicity to promote existing services and rail freight.
  • Fighting attempts to reduce passenger services (including closures).
Membership subscriptions go towards running Railfuture's general campaigning and providing services to members. The fund is accrued from donations, legacies, appeals and the annual draw.

Railfuture encourages its 14 branches to request funds for local campaigning where it cannot be covered by their annual branch budget grants.

Any organisation can apply for a grant, although preference will be given to Railfuture branches and Rail User Groups which are affiliated to Railfuture.

Applications from external organisations must be backed by a Railfuture branch and need to show how Railfuture would benefit from making an award. Outside organisations are expected to contribute towards their own campaign.

Our awards are usually in in two broad categories:
  • Around £100 to £500 to provide 'seed' funding to campaigns in their early days
  • Larger sums, sometimes up to £5,000, to support later stages of proposal development. In this case, there is a much stronger chance of an award if there are other contributors. If Railfuture is to be the only source of funding, then we will be curious as to why other backers have not been found.
Most applications are successful providing that the proposal is sound, and shows benefit to Railfuture. See examples of Fighting Fund awards. Like all grants, the applicant must put forward a case for funding, with evidence.

Railfuture expects to be given public recognition for any funding that it provides.

How to apply for funding

Click to access the Fighting Fund form

Considerable effort is expected from external organisations to show that their scheme is worthwhile and achievable. There are many demands upon Railfuture's finances and one of the expectations is that an award will lead to more people joining Railfuture. An application needs to show how this can happen.

Note: Railfuture's former Rail Defence Fund provided funding to fight proposals to close stations and/or lines (now thankfully very rare). Its replacement, the Fighting Fund, has a wider remit.

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