£85,000 for Community and Environment Projects near the Lower Thames Crossing

Kent Community Foundation is delighted to announce that National Highways has appointed them to administer grants for community and environment projects in Gravesham and Medway through their pilot Highways England - Lower Thames Crossing Fund.

Grassroots organisations in Gravesham and Strood are invited to apply to Kent Community Foundation for grants of between £5,000 and £10,000 from the Highways England - Lower Thames Crossing Fund. 

The new Fund will open with £250,000, which will be allocated to projects in Kent and Essex. Kent Community Foundation will administer £85,000 for projects in Gravesham and Medway and Essex Community Foundation will administer £165,000 for projects in the London Borough of Havering, Brentwood and Thurrock.

Natalie Smith, Director of Grants and Impact, Kent Community Foundation said. “Kent Community Foundation is delighted that National Highways has allocated £85,000 to support projects in the Gravesham and Medway area. Applications are open until 28th February for grants of up to £10,000 from local schools, charities, community groups and environment and heritage groups for projects or initiatives near the route of the new crossing in the Gravesham and Medway area.”

Community projects that will be considered for grants from the Highways England - Lower Thames Crossing Fund should meet one of the following criteria:

• Encouraging physical activity and increasing public use of local green spaces
• Improving the health and wellbeing of local communities
• Helping communities to connect with their heritage
• Supporting local people to secure permanent employment in the area
• Increasing the use of technology to help local communities better understand the LTC proposals and inspire future careers in construction
• Improving signage and/or way-markings to increase accessibility for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders

There must be an element of capital expenditure to the request (a minimum of 50%) and any revenue costs requested must cover a defined period of time, to be spent by end March 2024. Although grants are up to £10,000, we anticipate making some grants at lower amounts.

Grants must be spent in the following wards:

Gravesham: Shorne, Cobham and Luddesdown, Higham, Singlewell, Riverview, Westcourt, Chalk, Woodlands, Riverside, Northfleet South, Istead Rise, Painters Ash, Central

Medway: Cuxton and Halling, Strood Rural, Strood North, Strood South

Any pre-application questions, contact natalie@kentcf.org.uk

The fund is open now on the website, closing 1st March for decisions and grants out by end of March.

Those with a live annual application are eligible to apply, a separate application form should be submitted.