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£50,000 funding for community climate projects

Energy saving in Botley, a new community hub in Shrivenham and draught busting in Wantage are just some of the many community projects which will receive funding from Vale of White Horse District Council to help tackle climate change.

Thirteen projects across the district will receive a share of £50,000 after successfully applying to the district’s Climate Action Fund. 

The council launched the fund earlier this year to help encourage and support people to get involved in climate focussed projects at a grass roots level. 

The projects cover a wide range of themes, including encouraging food and lifestyle changes, biodiversity improvements, energy saving and education. The funding aims to help create real opportunities for everyone to get involved in climate action in their community, whether as part of a group or making changes at home, and to help raise awareness of the climate emergency locally.

A total of 22 groups applied to the Vale’s new Climate Action Fund following the scheme’s launch in March.  Groups that were unsuccessful in applying to the 2021/22 pot, along with any new projects, will have another opportunity to apply again later this year when 2022/23 fund begins.  In its 2022/23 budget, the Vale guaranteed that £50,000 will be available for community climate projects for each of the next four years.

Cllr Sally Povolotsky, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Environment, said: “The climate emergency is the biggest global and local issue we face so It’s really encouraging to see people wanting to do more in their community to help find solutions, the changes we need are at a grass roots level to slow climate warming and reduce the impact on our environment and the wildlife around us.   We were very impressed by the range of projects that applied, I will be visiting them all and look forward to seeing them develop and having a real impact in towns and villages across the Vale.”

Cllr Bethia Thomas, Cabinet Member Community Engagement, said: “We launched the Climate Action Fund to help empower our local communities to take grass roots action, so I’m delighted that so many responded positively.  I hope that the awards from this first round of funding will now inspire many more communities to look at what they can do to help tackle climate change and we look forward to seeing the applications for the 2022/23 funding later in the year.”

If you’re looking for ideas on how you can get involved in climate action at home and in your community, visit the new Climate Action Oxfordshire website – climateactionoxfordshire.org.uk.

Notes for editors:

The projects awarded funding from the Vale Climate Action Fund are:

  • Sustainable Botley – £4,900 for Energy Saving Homes in Botley to train local people to offer home energy advice and to carry out “DIY” measures such as loft insulation.
  • Down to Earth Community Café CIC (Wantage) – £3,070 for Let’s Cook Sustainably courses and Climate Cook-In events to use surplus food and offer practical ways to tackle the climate emergency
  • Sustainable Wantage – £4,952 for Wantage Draught Busters, a project to make simple adaptations or repairs to people’s homes to reduce heat loss
  • Sustainable Shrivenham – £5,000 to help establish a Shrivenham Community Hub focussed on sustainability
  • Marcham with Garford Parochial Church Council (PCC) – £5,000 for ‘Genesis One’ a project to develop the churchyard area as a demonstration and teaching resource for sustainability
  • Friends of Abingdon Abbey Buildings Trust – £4,854 for ‘Plot to Plate’ a one-day festival to engage people with greener, more conscious and healthier lifestyle choices.
  • The Buck Project Limited – £5,000 for My Climate My Choice My Future in My Community, a pilot project for people with financial challenges to help them with health eating, active lifestyles, reduce waste and save energy
  • Stanford in the Vale Parish Council – £1,220 to help transform a public open space to allow people to spend time in nature and to provide educational opportunities and information
  • Greener Gt Coxwell – £1,500 to help support the running of the community group and to provide an infra-red camera and outreach materials
  • One Planet Abingdon Climate Emergency Centre – £2,075 to support a Knowledge to Action Programme of climate action events and work with young people
  • Cumnor Conservation Group – £3,444 for a habitat survey of part of the Hurst Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest which will help to deliver a management plan and improve public education of the site.
  • Hinksey Trail Regneration CIC – £2,821 to improve the trail boardwalk with sustainable materials next to a small lake that is a popular place for visitors to stop and watch wildlife
  • The Radley Lakes Trust – £5,000 for two biodiverse planting areas of native species at Thrupp Lake