It’s great news for the environment as community and voluntary groups submit 105 applications to fund new schemes to reduce carbon emissions and address the climate emergency.
The £1 Million Green Shoots Community Climate Change Fund closed on Tuesday 18 May 2021, at 5pm, having received 105 individual applications for the funding of a variety of carbon-reducing and environment-enhancing projects from all over Warwickshire.
Officers have been impressed with the quality of applications to the scheme, which covered a diverse range of projects including:
- Rewilding schemes to restore areas of forestry lost over time;
- Building a biodiversity educational space to engage, inspire and encourage local residents to support biodiversity corridors across the area; and
- Installing renewable energy technology, such as solar panels and battery storage, on community venues to reduce their carbon consumption.
- A project to launch the first repair cafe in Kenilworth, which joins cafes in Leamington, Rugby, Southam and Alcester, providing an opportunity for householders to get their broken items repaired while learning how to do it themselves in the future; and
- Transport projects including enabling and promoting cycling and walking.
The total value of funding for the applications that have been received is close to £1 Million, which is representative of the ambitious and far-reaching nature of the projects represented.
The Green Shoots Fund, which opened for applications on Tuesday 2 February 2021, is looking to support community and voluntary projects that achieve the following:
- increase the adaptability and resilience of Warwickshire to the effects of climate change
- reduce impacts on the environment, particularly regarding climate change
- ensure funded projects benefit the wider Warwickshire community.
Like any funding, there are certain general criteria which this fund seeks to support. These include, but are not limited to:
- mitigating or adapting to climate change and the environment
- benefits to the local community and connections between other groups and projects
- development of awareness in environmental issues and capacity building of local communities
- legacy and long-term impacts
- project risks and mitigation steps.
There was no lower limit on how much a project could be funded for, but an upper limit on the costs of proposed projects was set at £25,000.
With applications now closed for this round of funding, the challenge for officers of Warwickshire County Council is to assess the 105 applications against the stated criteria for the fund to determine which can receive funding. All received applications will be assessed by a panel of experts from Warwickshire County Council and its partners to determine their feasibility for funding.
It is expected that all funding decisions will be made by no later than the end of July 2021.
Cllr Heather Timms, Portfolio Holder for Heritage, Culture and the Environment, said: “The Warwickshire Green Shoots Fund is an important step forward in our response to the Climate Change Emergency that this Council declared in 2019. The £1million that we have made available is one of the largest offered by any local authority and the fact that we have already received such a high volume of applications is testament to the commitment amongst the community and voluntary sectors in Warwickshire to play their part in facing the challenges of the climate change emergency.
“There is already a lot of fantastic work going on across Warwickshire to help reduce Carbon footprints and minimise the effects that we all have on our fast-changing climate. Thanks to the Green Shoots Fund, there are about to be even more projects and initiatives that will each contribute to making a difference.
“On behalf of all of Warwickshire, I would like to thank all the community and voluntary groups that have taken the time to apply for funding and wish them all the very best with their applications.”
For more information about the scheme, visit: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/greenshootsfund
For more information about how Warwickshire County Council is facing the challenges of the climate change emergency, visit: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/strategies-policies-legislation/facing-challenge-climate-change-warwickshire
Get the latest news about how Warwickshire County Council and partners are facing the challenge of the climate emergency and how you can get involved: http://eepurl.com/hrk-zf