CrossCountry supports grassroots community initiatives in Cornwall

Long-distance train operator CrossCountry has donated £20,000 to the Cornwall Community Foundation after a one-year funding period ended in April.

The donation from the company’s Customer and Community Improvement Fund was matched by the Cornwall Community Foundation, enabling the group to support a wide range of grassroots organizations in Cornwall over the past year.

A total of £40,000 was distributed to a total of nine charities across the Duchy. Since 2003, Cornwall Community Foundation has awarded £16 million to over 7,000 local projects in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Earlier in the year, CrossCountry and Cornwall Community Foundation visited some of the nine projects that benefited from the donation – including Get Together Cornwall, providing support to families affected by autism and Asperger syndrome; and MCH Wheal Prosper, a day opportunity center supporting adults with physical and learning disabilities.

Sarah Gould, Regional Director for CrossCountry West & Wales, said: “It has been fantastic to help Cornwall Community Foundation support such a wide range of projects and initiatives across the Duchy this year.

“As the only national rail operator connecting Cornwall and the rest of the country, it is essential that we support these communities and economies in the South West and connect them in more ways than just trains.”

The Cornwall Community Foundation, established in 2003, aims to support the communities of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly by providing small grants to grassroots organizations working to tackle the challenges of disadvantage, exclusion and poverty in their communities.

Tamara Sherston-Baker, Development Director at Cornwall Community Foundation, said: “It has been fantastic to work with CrossCountry to help even more projects and initiatives with their critical work in the Cornwall community.

“We always appreciate the support from businesses and organizations working in Cornwall and look forward to working closely with CrossCountry again in the future.”

Elsewhere in Cornwall, funding has also been allocated to Crimestoppers and social enterprise Unique Voices to raise awareness among young people about the risks of trafficking and exploitation, particularly around the County Lines drug trade.

Details of the Cornwall Community Foundation, including information on how to apply for grants, can be found on the charity’s website at www.cornwallcommunityfoundation.com.

More information about the CrossCountry Customer and Community Improvement Fund can be found at www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/xc-community-hub/ccif-fund.

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