ECO-MINDED Warwickshire residents still have time to help make a difference.
There are just two weeks left to submit projects to the second round of funding for Warwickshire County Council’s (WCC) Green Shoots Community Climate Change Fund.
Community and voluntary groups are being reminded to apply for funding for their climate change mitigation and adaptation projects as there less than a month before the application period for this second round of funding closes on Monday September 19.
Back in October 2020, WCC’s Cabinet approved the launch of a £1million community fund for local schemes that will have an impact on carbon emissions and help address the climate change emergency in the county.
The first round of funding, which finished in August 2021, saw 69 projects being awarded a share of £625k to spend on a range of mitigation and adaptation projects. These covered a huge variety of activity, including:
* Schemes to restore areas of forestry that have been lost over time and create new habitats for a variety of wildlife
* Schemes to install renewable energy technology, such as solar panels and heat pumps on community venues, to reduce their energy consumption and carbon emissions;
* Transport schemes that enable and promote active travel such as cycling and walking; and
* 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.
The Green Shoots Community Climate Change Fund is closely aligned to WCC’s refreshed Council Plan and reflects the principles of reducing social inequality as set out in the Levelling Up White Paper 2022.
The Fund is keen to spend more in supporting community and voluntary projects that increase the adaptability and resilience of Warwickshire to the effects of climate change,
reduce impacts on the environment, an ensure funded projects benefit the wider Warwickshire community.
WCC environment spokeswoman Coun Heather Timms said: “The Warwickshire Green Shoots Fund is something that we are very proud of. It is the largest fund of its type offered by any local authority in the UK and represents an important step forward in our response to the Climate Change Emergency that this Council declared in 2019.
“There is already lots of fantastic work going on within Warwickshire County Council and our communities across the county to help reduce carbon footprints and minimise the effects we all have on our fast-changing climate. This fund offers a great opportunity to amplify and increase the scope of this activity and really embrace a community-powered approach to drive forward local solutions that together will make a real impact.”
Application forms and supporting documents can be found here
For more information about how Warwickshire County Council is facing the challenges of the climate change emergency, click here
