The National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) has announced that 45 charities and community sector organisations will share £382,000 in funding, which has been handed out so far as part of a grant scheme to help tackle climate change.
The funding awards have been made through the government’s £2.5m Together For Our Planet initiative, created to coincide with this week’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.
Charities and community groups have until 5pm on 18 November to apply for grants, of between £1,000 and £10,000, through the initiative.
The NLCF says it expects to make between 400 and 500 awards through the programme.
Among those to receive funding so far is London Based Civil Society Consulting, which will use its £9,550 grant to set up a Community Leaders Network to host webinars, provide training and to mentor charity sector leaders to encourage activities to combat climate change.
“The time is now to see what we can all do as climate action organisers and leaders in the communities in which we live - to generate an emboldened eco-centric heart to our faith and community activities, services and projects,” said Civil Society Consulting founding director Mark Ereira-Guyer.
Another is PolyRhythm, which has been set up by Cultivate Cornwall. It will use its £9,800 funding to help people make instruments out of waste materials.
PolyRhythm managing director John Lakey said the funding “will allow us to continue to make a lot of noise about climate action, opening community workshops and teaching people how to make instruments out of waste materials, to be used at events and festivals over the coming year and beyond.”
As Glasgow hosts #COP26, 45 community groups across the UK are celebrating a share of almost £400,000 in #NationalLottery funding, to help them take action on climate change. 💪🌍
— The National Lottery Community Fund (@TNLComFund) November 2, 2021
Find out more. https://t.co/nigjDtSSCq#TogetherForOurPlanet pic.twitter.com/Lp8YVsiytJ
Research from the NLCF has found that more than half of UK people (54%) are worried about the impact of climate change on their local community.
Nine in ten (88%) believe that the UK government is responsible for tackling climate change, while 82% say individuals have a responsibility to protect the planet.
NLCF head of climate action Nick Gardner said: “As COP26 begins and global climate change negotiations are under the world’s spotlight, it is encouraging to see that communities are also taking action locally.
“Our research clearly shows that communities are not only concerned about the climate emergency, but that they want to play their part in tackling it.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, we are able to support local climate action, funding innovative projects that are part of the drive towards net zero and that enable people and communities across the UK to prosper and thrive.”
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