The National Lottery Community Fund has launched a new £100 million Climate Action Fund that will enable people and communities to take the lead in tackling the climate emergency.
The National Lottery Community Fund writes:
The new fund, from the largest funder of community activity in the UK, will build a network of people and communities, well-placed to drive change within, between and beyond their community.
The funder has said that types of activities will differ from place to place, but will have one thing in common: the ability to deliver high impact community-led climate action. This includes in areas such as sustainable energy, sustainable transport, consumption, food and protecting and regenerating spaces and habitats.
The new fund is being launched as the level of concern over climate change continues to rise, with 80% of the public saying they are very or fairly concerned about climate change…
Dawn Austwick, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: ‘Everyone can play their part in addressing climate change. The impact will be all the greater if we come together within and across communities. This is why, thanks to National Lottery players, we are launching the Climate Action Fund to create grassroots momentum built on learning and sharing within, between and beyond communities – in order to achieve meaningful and sustained climate action.’
The National Lottery Community Fund has already invested millions in environmental projects across the UK, large and small. One project includes ‘Welcome to Our Woods’ which is a community partnership in the Upper Rhondda Fawr, South Wales Valleys. Through the project it is working with the community to develop new ways of connecting people and their natural environment. It’s using a wide range of activities and initiatives including health walks, green gyms and healthy campfires, community food growing and healthy eating as well as growing produce locally in unused allotments to minimise waste areas…
The launch was held at The Global Generation Skip garden, a sustainable urban garden in London…
The National Lottery Community Fund also… revealed that it’s exploring ways to support the wider sector and its grantees to help them mitigate their impact on the climate, for example via its Climate Action Top-up scheme – which will soon be piloted in Wales.
To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk
