UK climate change projects to receive £14m funding

The National Lottery Community Fund has announced the first 14 grants from the Climate Action Fund going to communities across the UK to tackle climate change.

The fund aims to support community lead projects tackling climate change

A Zero Carbon Cumbria will receive the biggest grant of £2.5m, with five other projects across the whole of the UK receiving over a million pounds each.

The fund will give away £100m over the course of the next 10 years.

Middlesbrough Environment City Trust – another of the 14 grants announced today - has been awarded almost £1.6m in National Lottery funding to work across sustainable food, transport, domestic energy use, waste and natural environment, with the aim to raise greater awareness of sustainable living and help to reduce the town’s carbon footprint.

Mark Fishpool, Director of Middlesbrough Environment City, said:

“This new grant from the Climate Action Fund is fantastic news. With the shared enthusiasm and commitment of partners including Middlesbrough Council and Thirteen Housing Group, this is our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage local communities and young people in taking action to address climate change and create a sustainable future for our town.”

The project will focus on empowering young people to address climate change, through educational workshops and individual climate action in their own communities.

John Rose, Director and environment lead at The National Lottery Community Fund, said:

“From 25 years of funding environmental projects across the UK, we know that local community action is at the heart of delivering solutions that not only minimise the impact on the environment, but also offer additional benefits that people and communities can reap.”

“In the last few months we have been reminded that communities truly understand their places and spaces, and so often play a vital role in responding in a crisis, and we’re confident with people in the lead communities can tackle climate action and responding to the climate emergency.”