Swindon Bus Community Fund - Next open December 2026
Every month, Swindon's Bus Company is approached by many organisations in the community asking for help, or donations towards their local efforts. In the past, we have dealt with these requests in a very ad-hoc manner and the result differs dramatically depending on who gets the call, question or email.
Our Community Fund is a dedicated resource for supporting local causes, charities and organisations, whether it is monetary support, marketing help, free travel or the use of a bus/coach for an event required.
The Community Fund is open for applications from everyone in our local community; whether it’s a charity, a sports team, a school or a one of the local events that makes Swindon and the wider Wiltshire area an exciting place to live.
Local people are able to apply via our website and we have two rounds of applications per year in June and December. There is a judging panel to see which causes we can support and this will involve some of our local management team. This process will help us streamline the constant requests we get for help and support and ensure we give to the ones that fit closely with our brands.
Causes we've helped
We have supported many projects through the community fund including:
St Catherine's Primary School
The Friends of St Catherine’s Primary School in Davenwood applied to the bus company’s community fund to help an initiative which promotes physical activity, wellbeing, confidence and social skills.
This donation will benefit more than 200 young people in the Swindon community - allowing them to have fun and play, form new friendships and develop their social and motor skills whilst playing.
Swindon Advocacy Movement (SAM)
We are working with local charity Swindon Advocacy Movement (SAM) to help provide bus travel training for local adults with learning disabilities.
Swindon Advocacy Movement does an excellent job, supporting local people - ensuring they feel they can travel around their community and feel confident to do so.
This will be particularly vital for helping people navigate the new layout when the Fleming Way Boulevard opens this autumn. Through our community fund, we are pleased to be able to support Swindon Advocacy Movement in its very worthwhile activities by providing free travel for trainers and SAM members.
1st Walcot Brownies
We were delighted to donate to to the 1st Walcot Brownies to help them set up a Girl Guiding programme for older Brownies.
The group welcomes girls aged 7 to 10 for fun, learning and adventure with our gift helping the group take on older members.
How does it work?
There are two months a year where local charities, organizations and events can apply for community funding, donated by us. These months are June and December.
This application could be as small as a raffle prize or as large as a £750 donation. We have a total of £750 to give away, twice per year.
It will be at the discretion of the assigned judging panel to select the worthiest causes and allocate the support/donation to the causes they feel would most benefit from our support.
By applying for the community fund, applicants must agree and acknowledge that Swindon's Bus Company must be given the opportunity to take a press photograph at the applicant's premises/with their cause/group in order to issue a press release that they will be obliged to provide a comment for. They agree that this will be used on the Swindon's Bus Company website and social media channels.
What is the benefit?
The Community Fund enables us to engage and support the local community as needed, allowing us to build firm relationships within the community, while making support more accessible – providing a fairer system and inviting applications twice annually.
How do I apply?
Apply for our next round of funding from 01 December 2026.