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£1.69 million confirmed for climate action projects.

Community groups taking action against the damaging impacts of climate change are to benefit from £1.69 million from the Climate Challenge Fund, Aileen McLeod announced yesterday.

The Climate Challenge Fund provides financial support for community groups to run projects to tackle climate change and help reduce their community’s carbon footprint.

Among the 26 recipients across Scotland sharing £1.69 million are:

• The Udny Green Hall in Ellon, Aberdeenshire will benefit from an award of £150,000 to the Dr Spence Memorial Hall Committee for an energy efficiency refurbishment of the community-owned building.
• Lambhill Stables in Glasgow receives £104,224.07 for its ‘Get Green’ project focused on local food growing and cycle training, maintenance and bicycle recycling.
• Fyne Homes receive £83,306 to help their tenants in Bute, Cowal, Mid Argyll and Kintyre to efficiently heat their homes, thus reducing energy use, carbon emissions and fuel poverty levels.
• Greener Kirkcaldy receives £75,337 to build awareness, skills and opportunities for the local community to reduce waste by reducing, reusing and repairing goods and materials.
• Fallin Community Enterprises in Stirling receives £149,063 to work with schools, businesses and the wider community to reduce car journeys by providing cycle training, bike maintenance classes and a bike loan scheme.

Climate Change Minister Dr McLeod said yesterday:

“Climate change impacts on every person on the planet and I know that the projects announced today will make a real and lasting difference at a local level. We all have our part to play in tackling climate change and I welcome the efforts being made by hundreds of communities the length and breadth of Scotland to tackle the impacts of a changing climate within their areas.

“Since the fund was established in 2008, we have invested £66.3 million in 756 community projects. Due to unprecedented demand for support, the fund is now closed to new applications. We will now review the success of the fund and consider how we can continue to support communities and our transition to a low carbon Scotland in future.”

Derek Robertson, Chief Executive at Keep Scotland Beautiful said:

“Keep Scotland Beautiful has managed the Climate Challenge Fund on behalf of the Scottish Government since the Fund was established in 2008. In that time we are very proud to have supported over 500 community groups across Scotland to take local action on climate change.

“The full allocation of the Climate Challenge Fund shows an appetite from community groups across Scotland to tackle climate change at a local level. We look forward to supporting the latest groups awarded grants and to enabling many more community groups to take climate action in the future. We see it as part of our work to help make Scotland clean, green and more sustainable.”

Notes To Editors

The fund budget has now been fully allocated and is now closed to new applications.

Link to successful applicants: www.gov.scot/Topics/Environment/climatechange/ccf/projects/CCF21