The GEM Road Safety Charity has announced that the current funding window for road safety projects will remain open until January 31.

The Charity Trustees are keen to encourage applications from community groups, registered charities, foundations, professional bodies, road safety organisations, partnerships, schools and colleges whose projects demonstrate a clear road safety benefit to the wider community at a regional or national level.

This can include anything from educational initiatives through to research.

Previous examples of projects funded include:

• Funding towards the production of Blue Light Aware, a video resource offering simple tips on how to stay safe and legal when assisting an emergency vehicle. The first award was made in 2011, and a grant for a new version of the resource was agreed late in 2018.
• A grant to TISPOL (The European Traffic Police Network) for its European Day Without A Road Death (Project EDWARD) which was used to produce a selection of short safety videos and to host the inaugural seminar. Project EDWARD won a Prince Michael International Road Safety award in December 2018.
• Support for the Hampshire Older Driver’s Forum, for the production of a video assisting those attending a Mobility Centre assessment
• Funding towards a new website for the Cycle Smart Foundation
• A grant to the Police Foundation, towards the cost of producing their new Roadcraft Online resource
• Support for SERV (Service by Emergency Rider Volunteers) to help pay for advanced rider training, to help in their life-saving work of transporting blood, blood products and other urgent medical items between hospitals.

GEM’s road safety officer and clerk to the GEM Road Safety Charity Neil Worth (pictured) said: “More than ever, the Charity needs evidence that any award it makes will be used to support a well-researched identified need.

“Additionally, please include clear evidence of your project’s road safety benefit, and of the proposed wider impact, as well as a robust evaluation mechanism.

“If your proposal can satisfy these (and other) requirements, and you can show how you will keep people safe on our roads, then you will find the trustees enthusiastic to discuss how they may be able to assist you.”

Further information on applying for one the grants and an online application form can be found online