Cellnex UK Launch £180,000 Community Fund for People Near its Masts

Wireless infrastructure firm Cellnex UK, which manages approximately 14,000 mast and other sites across the country (often on behalf of 4G / 5G mobile operators), has today launched a new Community Fund that commits £180,000 in its first year to organisations in the communities hosting its infrastructure.

The goal of the Cellnex UK Community Fund is to award grants of up to £5,000, tied to local authority areas where Cellnex infrastructure is located, to individual organisations that are working on projects to foster digital skills, the circular economy, biodiversity (inc. conservation) and education (inc. AI).

Applications are open to formally constituted organisations that can enter into a grant agreement, including registered charities, Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs), Community Interest Companies (CICs) limited by guarantee, and other not-for-profit organisations with a governing document and a UK bank account. Unregistered community groups are welcome to apply provided they are supported by a constituted organisation acting as an accountable body.

Projects must deliver their primary benefit in a local authority area where Cellnex UK operates digital infrastructure. Organisations based outside an eligible area may still apply provided the funded activity takes place within one.

Steve Cray, Managing Director of Cellnex UK, said:

“We keep Britain connected and believe our responsibility extends beyond our infrastructure. We have been funding projects delivering social value for four years and the creation of the Cellnex Community Fund is our next step to delivering a positive impact which is even more ambitious, directly linked to the places where we operate in the UK – ensuring that the communities who host our infrastructure are at the heart of our investment.”

Take note that the grants can only be used to cover the practical costs of delivering a project, including materials and equipment, venue hire directly related to project activities, volunteer expenses including travel, training and DBS checks, and a reasonable contribution to administrative costs. Grants cannot be used to cover staff salaries, general organisational running costs, retrospective funding or debt repayment.

Every recipient will also be required to submit an impact report at the end of their project as a condition of funding.