Scottish climate actions projects awarded £1 million of National Lottery funding

The National Lottery Community Fund is today (10 MARCH) announcing almost £1 million to help Scottish communities act on climate change.

Over 100 community groups across the country will take collective action by focussing on the small changes they can make locally. Projects include repair and recycle schemes, climate festivals, community gardens, green transport initiatives and peer support networks for people and families experiencing eco-anxiety. A full list of all 112 awards is available here.

They are amongst hundreds of projects across the UK to receive awards from The Together for Our Planet Fund, made possible by National Lottery players.

One of the groups to receive National Lottery funding is Edinburgh based Earth in Common which receives £10,000 to plan a series of community workshops that will help educate and build interest in and enthusiasm for climate related activities in Leith and surrounding communities.

Evie Murray, CEO of Earth in Common, said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded this National Lottery funding. We believe that the scale of environmental problems we face can only be tackled by collective action and acting together with others motivates and empowers people who might otherwise feel overwhelmed and helpless.

“Through this project we will deliver an exciting, enjoyable and educational range of green activities and learning opportunities in a festive atmosphere on our pioneering urban croft, with and for the people of Leith.”

With an award of £9,470, Repairs Upcycling & Skills Training (RUST) in Renfrewshire will deliver woodworking training workshops to enable people to repair, recycle and upcycle items that would otherwise be taken to landfill.

Anita Carvalho, one of the founders of RUST, said: “We are delighted with this National Lottery award from the Together for Our Planet fund. As a new charity, COVID-19 had a significant impact on our development plans and getting started was a significant challenge.

“With this funding we will be able to provide woodwork workshops for people to learn upcycling and repair skills. Participants will also gain SQA qualifications in Practical Craft Skills. We hope those who take part enjoy learning new skills and become ambassadors for our charity and champions of sustainability."

In Stirling, The Surefoot Effect CIC receives £10,000 to develop a free to access peer support network for people experiencing eco-anxiety.

Pamela Candea, Managing Director, The Surefoot Effect CIC, explains more: “This National Lottery funding for our Eco Anxious Resilient Peer Support Project will encourage people to value themselves and the actions they and others take to tackle the nature and climate emergency.

“While no one person can solve these crises, together we can support and celebrate each other while we do our best to be responsible citizens, encourage others to take action in our communities and stay personally resilient. The project will provide a free-to-access peer support network and information for people who are experiencing eco-anxiety or grief and help them to move beyond hopelessness towards action."

Announcing the funding to 112 Scottish groups totalling £999,267, Kate Still, Scotland Chair of the National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, this funding will enable over one hundred Scottish community groups to take meaningful and ongoing action on climate change. By thinking locally and focusing on what this means for them, they will collectively build on small actions that will contribute to the wider climate action movement.

“I look forward to seeing these projects come to life over the coming months. Not only will they make significant environmental improvements, but they will also help communities to thrive.”

The Together for Our Planet fund aims to support a legacy of ongoing climate action projects in communities across the UK. The Fund, which offered grants of up to £10,000, has now closed.

Across the UK it has awarded over £4.7 million to over 530 community led climate action projects.

Since 2016, The National Lottery Community Fund has awarded £397 million through more than 6,000 grants which involve environmental action, including action on waste and consumption, energy, transport, food and the natural environment.

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes funding on behalf of National Lottery players who raise more than £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK**.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk

Date published: 10 March, 2022
Region: Scotland

Notes to Editors

About The National Lottery Community Fund

We are the largest funder of community activity in the UK – we support people and communities to prosper and thrive.

We’re proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to work closely with Government to distribute vital grants and funding from key Government programmes and initiatives.

Our funding has a positive impact and makes a difference to people’s lives. We support projects focussed on things that matter, including economic prosperity, employment, young people, mental health, loneliness and helping the UK reach Net Zero by 2050.

Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, our funding is open to everyone. We’re privileged to be able to work with the smallest of local groups right up to UK-wide charities, enabling people and communities to bring their ambitions to life.

National Lottery players raise over £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK. Since The National Lottery began in 1994, £43 billion has been raised for good causes. National Lottery funding has been used to support over 635,000 projects - 255 projects per postcode area.

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Together for Our Planet

We’re offering funding from £1,000 to £10,000 to support communities across the UK to take action on climate change. The UK Government is using Together for Our Planet to engage people with COP26 and inspire positive climate action.