Originally published: 17/08/2020
Voluntary Action Leeds in partnership with Together for Peace, Leeds Tidal and Our Future Leeds been successful in securing a £2.5m award from The National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund.
This core partnership of four is supported by a whole host of other Leeds community organisations. The goal is to create a ‘zero carbon, socially-just and liveable city by 2030’, and the funding will go towards supercharging climate and social justice action across the city.
The project will build on the amazing work already happening around Leeds and will involve setting up 16 community hubs specifically focused on supporting big ideas to tackle the climate emergency in a positive and fair way. The project will also create over 40 local jobs, and around £400,000 of grants to local community groups will be shared to help them take action on climate and social justice.
The five-year programme will not only help the local environment, but will also bring additional community benefits for local people, such as creating employment opportunities and amplifying the voices and agency of young people. The project will also involve the creation of a Leeds Climate Assembly where communities will come together to share and celebrate activities and learning and ensure that their plans are joined up and work towards city-wide priorities and goals.
The programme will create over 40 local jobs, and around £400,000 in grants to local community groups will be shared to help them take action on climate and social justice. As well as improving the local environment, the project is set to bring wider benefits to the people of Leeds, including employment opportunities and the chance for young people to have their voices heard.
More than £14 million in grants from the National Lottery Community Fund has been awarded to communities across the UK to tackle the climate emergency.
John Rose, Director and environment lead at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “From 25 years of funding environmental projects across the UK, we know that local community action is at the heart of delivering solutions that not only minimise the impact on the environment, but also offer additional benefits that people and communities can reap.
“In the last few months we have been reminded that communities truly understand their places and spaces, and so often play a vital role in responding in a crisis, and we’re confident with people in the lead, communities can tackle climate action and responding to the climate emergency.”
“Thanks to National Lottery players we’re now bringing these communities together so they can address climate change, learn from each other and have an impact within and beyond their communities.”
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