Grow Wild on the Railway grant opportunity is now closed.
However, check out our UK-wide Grow Wild Youth Grants opportunity for young people aged 16-25, which will open again for applications in early 2026.
Grow Wild on the Railway is a new partnership between Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) and Grow Wild. Together, we’re supporting ten youth-led projects at stations along the Southern Railway route of the GTR network. Participating stations are: Bexhill, Brighton, Burgess Hill, East Croydon, Haywards Heath, Hove, Lewes, Ore, Redhill, Salfords.
We are calling on young people aged 18–25 living locally to these stations to come up with a project idea to champion UK native plants/fungi.
Working alongside your station’s partner group, you’ll lead a project to help these stations to be pockets of nature, creativity and community. Projects could be but are not limited to artistic installations, community events, or gardening/growing activities. They will run between August – December 2025.
What You Get
- A £500 grant for your project. This can be used for anything you might need from materials, equipment, resources to helpful training. There is also an additional £500 from Grow Wild for station partner groups to support installation costs for the project.
- Support from the Station Partner Group, who will help you deliver your project at the station.
- Online sessions and resources from Grow Wild.
- Opportunities to connect with other participants taking part in Grow Wild on the Railway and see your project featured in a collective portfolio.
- The chance to complete Kew's Young Environmental Leader Award designed to work alongside your Grow Wild project and recognise your achievements.
Participating stations
Ten stations based along the Southern Railway route of the GTR network will be hosting Grow Wild on the Railway projects. Each station is listed below, along with information about facilities available.
Each station has a station partner group that will help you to complete your project. Station partner groups are community or voluntary groups that enhance stations through activities like gardening, artwork and events. The groups will receive and help you to manage your grant and support you with the day-to-day delivery of the project. Some of the station partner groups have set a more specific brief for the kind of project they are looking to support; full details are listed below.
Station Partner Group: De La Warr Pavilion
De La Warr Pavilion is already working with youth groups at Bexhill Station to mark 200 years of the railway and local history and they’re excited to take this even further. They’d love to hear your creative ideas that could include co-designing a planter or developing artwork that connects to local stories, history or nature.
Space and facilities available for your project: space for new planters, space for a mural or to display 2D artwork, and space to host events or pop-up stalls.
Station partner group: Brighton Toy and Model Museum
This is a fantastic opportunity to transform the underpass at Brighton Station into a vibrant, welcoming space. The Brighton Toy and Model Museum is looking for a young person to lead the development of a colourful mural championing UK native plants and fungi. They are also interested in designs that incorporate iconic landmarks from Brighton and Sussex.
This project aims to brighten the area and inspire local pride, so they’re keen to hear your ideas on how you’ll engage the wider community in shaping the design and bringing the mural to life.
Wall outside Brighton station identified for the mural
Station partner group: Art on the Line
Art on the Line has over 12 years of experience curating youth artwork in station lounges—everything from photography and poetry to painting and mixed media. Burgess Hill wants to display your work at their station.
Whether it’s a creative journey, a community campaign, or a science experiment, you’re free to shape your project however you like — but it must include at least one display for an approximately A2 frame.
Station partner group: East Croydon Community Organisation
On the Billinton Hill entrance to East Croydon Station is a long wall space running up the hill by the taxi rank. It is waiting to be transformed. East Croydon Community Organisation is looking for a young person to lead the development of designs for a mural, celebrating the nature found in and around Croydon. Your project idea must champion UK native plants and/or fungi, but you can go wild with how you interpret the brief.
The group is especially keen for the project to involve other young people and the wider community. They’d love to hear how you plan to include others in the development of your design and the creation of the mural itself.
Wall outside East Croydon Station identified for the mural
Station partner group: Art on the Line
Art on the Line has over 12 years of experience curating youth artwork in station lounges—everything from photography and poetry to painting and mixed media. Haywards Heath is also the closest station to Kew’s Wakehurst site and wants to display your work at their station.
Whether it’s a creative journey, a community campaign, or a science experiment, you’re free to shape your project however you like — but it must include at least one display for an approximately A2 frame.
Station partner group: Art on the Line
Art on the Line has over 12 years of experience curating youth artwork in station lounges—everything from photography and poetry to painting and mixed media. Hove wants to display your work at their station.
Whether it’s a creative journey, a community campaign, or a science experiment, you’re free to shape your project however you like — but it must include at least one display for an approximately A2 frame.
Station Partner Group: Diversity Lewes
Diversity Lewes is excited to keep building community connections by supporting a wide range of creative and gardening projects.
Space and facilities available for your project: garden space, space for new planters, gardening tools, mural space and Space for 2D artwork and sculptures.
Additional information: They may also have access to a signal box on site, which could potentially be used as a studio, gallery, event space, or even a winter greenhouse – subject to permission.
Station Partner Group: Friends of Ore Station
Friends of Ore Station are excited to support projects that bring people together, celebrate local nature, and connect with young people through creativity. They want to make the station a place where art, plants, and people can thrive side by side.
Space and facilities available for your project: large garden space, mural space, space for 2D artwork and sculptures and space to host community events with up to 200 attendees.
Station Partner Group: County Care
County Care want to support someone to help bring new life to Redhill Station. There are disused planters and a planting bank ready for transformation, and they’re also open to creative ideas like a mural on the platform wall or nature-themed displays for the community. They’re especially keen to support a project that offers meaningful experiences for people with learning disabilities and autism.
Space and facilities available for your project: existing planters, a garden area, mural space, and display boards.
Station Partner Group: Salfords and Sidlow Parish Council Train Station Adoption
The team at Salfords Station have been working on turning the area into a buzzing hub for nature and community pride. They’ve already created wildflower guides and are excited to support someone to further boost biodiversity and/or brightening up the station with local artwork. It’s all about bringing people together and making the station a more welcoming, wildlife-friendly space.
Space and facilities available for your project: garden space, space for new planters, space for a mural or to display 2D artwork, and space to host pop-up stalls.
Click here to see more information about the station space
Some history: Salfords (Surrey) station was originally constructed in 1915 to serve the Monotype Corporation head office in Salfords. Monotype designed the Times New Roman, Arial and Modern fonts (among others) at their Salfords (Surrey) headquarters plus supplied equipment that produced the majority of the printed material in the UK at that time.
Interested in applying? Want to know more? Watch our webinar recording.
We recently held a webinar all about Grow Wild on the Railway grants, including what you get and how to apply. You can watch the recording via the link below.
How do I apply?
Read the four steps below carefully for information on how to apply.
If you have any questions or queries, get in touch! Email us or call Grow Wild on 020 8332 3842 for advice.
Ten stations based along the Southern Railway route of the GTR network will be hosting Grow Wild on the Railway projects.
Each station has a station partner group that will help you to complete your project at the station. See our list of stations to read full details about each station partner, and the kind of project they are looking to support.
You should apply to a station that is local to you.
This is the fun bit!
When coming up with your project idea, think about the following criteria. We are looking for...
-
A project that is suitable for your chosen station.
-
Projects that focus on UK native plants and/or fungi.
-
Projects that will involve others. This can include people taking part in person and engaging with online or social media content about your project.
-
Projects that benefit others. Think about the positive impact your project will have on other people and tell us all about it!
-
Projects that will make good use of the £500 grant - tell us how you will use the money to make the biggest impact. You can use the grant to pay for any equipment or materials, training, resources, or expert help you need. Your station can also claim up to another £500 in instalment costs. Please note that the grant cannot be used to pay yourself a wage or salary.
-
Project ideas that are ambitious and interesting, but also sound well planned and realistic to complete.
If you want inspiration for your project idea, check out previous youth projects.
Your video should be no longer than two minutes. That’s it!
You don’t need any fancy equipment for this – just a mobile phone is fine. There are lots of ways to create your video, (we’re more interested in your ideas than your film making skills)
- You don't have to be on camera.
- You could provide an audio or subtitled description.
- You could interview members of your wider community, explaining why the project idea is fantastic.
If creating a video is difficult for you due to specific access needs, please contact Grow Wild to discuss a suitable alternative.
In the video please include:
- Your project idea and how it champions UK native plants and/or fungi.
- How you’ll bring your project to life at your chosen station, taking into account the available space, station guidelines, and any opportunities the location offers.
- How your project will involve others, for example, station users, the local community and other young people.
- A summary of how you will spend the £500. Your station can claim up to another £500 in instalment costs.
Important: If using a video sharing site such as YouTube or Vimeo, make sure your video is not publicly discoverable. Check the privacy settings to make sure it’s enabled for Grow Wild to view.
Please ensure that you have consent from everyone featured in the video and inform them that it will be shared with Grow Wild. If you or any young people in the video application are under 18, a parent/guardian must give consent for their taking part.
Applications are now closed.
Application Deadline: 3pm, Monday 04 August 2025 [EXTENDED DEADLINE]
Projects can be started in September and must be completed by the end of December 2025.
Grow Wild will manage the recruitment of the young people, with the input of the station partner groups, to make sure the project meets their priorities.
You'll receive an email notification to let you know if your application has been successful by the end of August 2025.
Good luck!
Ready to apply?
Applications for this opportunity are now closed.
Application Deadline: 3pm, Monday 04 August 2025 [EXTENDED DEADLINE]
Projects can be started in September and must be completed by the end of December 2025.
Grow Wild will manage the recruitment of the young people, with the input of the station partner groups, to make sure the project meets their priorities.
FAQs
To apply, you must be:
- Aged 18-25
- Living locally to your chosen station.
- Keen to deliver a project at that station, in partnership with the station partner group, that champions UK native plants and fungi and gets other people in your community involved
- Have an open attitude to working with new people to deliver your project.
- This is a unique opportunity to bring your own project vision to life!
- You’ll be taking positive action for biodiversity and your community.
- You'll get to connect to, inspire and have fun with others.
- It’s a great way to add experience to your CV or portfolio.
Not at all! We will put you in touch with the station partner group, who will introduce you to the group and help you deliver your project.
Station partner groups are open to hearing your ideas. There are some restrictions on types of projects at some stations, so we recommend you get in touch with us (email hellogrowwild@kew.org) and we can help advise you on your application.
Not at all!
In fact, we particularly like receiving applications from people who don’t already know much about our UK native species.
Running your own project is a great way to learn. We're looking for enthusiasm and interesting project ideas.
We encourage you to only apply to one station, which you live locally to, and that you think your project will suit best.
If you have questions about this, please get in touch with us.
This is a voluntary opportunity, so the £500 grant cannot be used to pay yourself a wage or salary. You can use the grant to pay for any equipment or materials, training, resources, or expert help you need. Your station can also claim up to another £500 in instalment costs.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with our team at hellogrowwild@kew.org
Seeking Inspiration?
We’ve funded and supported 362 young people to run their own project since 2014. You could be next!
'Seeing how the project has come together and knowing that it's benefitting the local community has been incredibly rewarding.'
Shauna, Benefieldside Community Garden, 2024
With thanks to our funders
Grow Wild on the Railway is supported through GTR's Your Station Your Community Improvement Fund.
Keep an eye out for 'The Travelling Garden', also on the rails this summer
Alongside Kew's Grow Wild on the Railway projects this summer, Cambridge Sustainable Food are touring a 'Travelling Garden' across the Great Northern, Thameslink and Southern rail network. At each stop a bespoke garden planter designed by the local community will be proudly on display showcasing the great work of station gardeners and local communities in improving station green spaces.
More about Grow Wild
