£100,000 awarded to climate projects in the Vale
Published Tuesday 6 October 2026
Solar panels, heat pumps and habitat restoration projects are among 15 projects to receive a total of £100,000 in grant funding through the 2026/27 Vale Nature and Climate Action Fund.
Vale of White Horse District Council recently offered funding to charities, community groups and other local organisations through the sixth round of grant funding to help projects that support climate action and nature recovery across the district.
This year’s projects include community woodland recovery coordinated by Faringdon Folly Tower Trust, a nature recovery action plan for Wantage and Grove by Sustainable Wantage, reusing and repurposing equipment by 30th Abingdon Scouts and installation of a heat pump at Stonehill Barn.
Cllr Robert Clegg, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, Climate Action and Nature Recovery, said: “These projects show the difference local communities can make when they are given the support to turn great ideas into action. From generating renewable energy and cutting carbon emissions to improving habitats for wildlife, the funded projects will have a positive impact across our community.
“We’re proud to support organisations that are helping to build a greener future and make their communities better places to live, work and enjoy nature. We look forward to seeing these projects come to life and the benefits they will bring for years to come.”
The projects will help reduce carbon emissions, improve local wildlife habitats and support communities to live sustainably supporting Vale of White Horse District Council’s commitment to climate action, nature recovery and its goal of becoming a net zero district by 2045.
The Vale Nature and Climate Action Fund opened for applications in May of this year and closed on 21 June.
The full list of Climate Action Fund awardees – offered September 2026
- Letcombe Regis – Installation of solar panels at the Court Hill Centre (Court Hill Trust)
- Drayton and Abingdon – Replacement of existing heating system with two heat pumps (Stonehill Housing)
- Wantage – Installation of a battery storage system to maximise solar generation from their solar panels (Vale and Downland Museum)
- Cumnor – A community restoration project for key priority habitat and species within the Vale (Long Mead Foundation)
- Coleshill – A restoration project to restore habitats through tree planting, wildflower creation, hedge laying and a new pond (National Trust)
- Faringdon – A community-led tree planting project to diversify the woodland canopy (Faringdon Folly Tower Trust)
- Wantage and Grove – Creation of a Wantage and Grove nature recovery action plan, to understand more about local biodiversity and take informed action to restore nature in the area (Sustainable Wantage)
- Abingdon – A project to repurpose old items into new and share climate awareness through interactive and engaging events (30th Abingdon Scout Group)
- Shrivenham – Replacement of more petrol-powered equipment with battery powered tools, to further reduce their use of fossil fuels (Wilts and Berks Canal Trust)
- Sunningwell – Restoration of the rare valley fen at Lincombe Lane Field and Reserve (Oxford Preservation Trust)
District Wide
- Training for advisors on aspects such as energy efficiency, reducing waste, connecting with nature and building climate resilience, to support advisors to help residents and offer practical advice (Vale Community Impact)
- Distribution of 1000 free native trees to households across the Vale of White Horse, creating an opportunity for people to engage with tree planting (International Tree Foundation)
- Surveying and sampling of black poplar trees, with the aim of propagating a future genetically diverse stock of trees for planting (Cotswolds Rivers Trust)
- Provision of energy assessments for three community buildings in the Vale (Low Carbon Hub)
- A project to glean surplus food directly from farms and process it into long-life products to distribute to frontline community groups in the Vale (Oxford Food Hub)
