Making climate science more accessible: The Sensory Trust’s Collective Climate Repair project
The Sensory Trust in Cornwall has received over £850,000 to inspire people across England and Scotland who are deaf or have hearing loss, are blind or partially sighted, have a neurodiverse condition, or are autistic, to improve biodiversity in their communities.
Its Collective Climate Repair project focusses on the role of water in climate action, with activities including the maintenance of grass land, sowing wildflowers, planting trees, and creating new wetlands in areas of Devon and Cornwall, Edinburgh, Liverpool, and London.
The funding will help to develop resources, guidance and on-site activities that reduce the complexity and inaccessibility of climate science.
Victoria Hutchinson, Assistant Director at the Sensory Trust, said: “Information around climate and nature is often complex and rarely available in inclusive communication formats, such as British Sign Language (BSL) and braille. Lack of opportunity to participate directly through these languages excludes people from developing a personal sense of ownership for taking greater care of the environment. This funding will enable us and our partners to launch a new, pioneering approach that will have a real impact on climate repair, whilst giving marginalised people a sense of agency over the climate emergency.”
This year, a further £20 million has been made available by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, as part of its 10-year, £100 million Climate Action Fund.
Climate Action Fund – Our Shared Future aims to involve more people in climate action, supporting collaboration to bring communities together in tackling the climate crisis. Applications are now open to partnerships working with communities that may be new to climate action, particularly projects that involve people, places and communities experiencing poverty, discrimination, and disadvantage.
Nick Gardner, Head of Climate Action at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “We know that climate change matters to communities, so it matters to us. This new funding aims to bring people together to deliver large-scale, ambitious projects that will inspire even more people to get involved in climate action.
“We'd love to get applications from partnerships with bold, exciting ideas, inspired by people’s everyday interests and lives, helping to create networks across the UK and reaching communities and groups who might be new to climate action.”
Victoria adds: “For anyone considering applying to the Climate Action Fund, I would say go for it!”