WIREDGOV

Three quarters of people in the UK say the environment will be important to them in 2020, a new survey from The National Lottery Community Fund reveals. 

• People across the UK say they will make changes in 2020 to help the environment
• 1 in 3 (30.5%) say communities have a role in taking environmental action
• Many people across the UK intend to join in with community environmental activities

As people set their New Year’s resolutions, more than three in five (65%) agree that if everyone makes small changes, we can make a positive difference to the environment. In 2020, people say they will be: reducing the amount of plastics used (50%), recycling more (49%) and cutting back on food waste and increasing on food sharing (37%).

John Rose, Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, yesterday said: “People know about climate change and the impact it is already having in the world. But now we can see that people recognise communities have a role to play in tackling this issue at a local level, with one in three people in our survey confirming this.”

On top of people making lifestyle changes in 2020, such as changing their eating habits (28%) and purchasing habits (25%), more than one in ten (15%) intend to join in with community environmental activities, such as litter picks, tree planting and beach cleans.

“As the largest funder of community activity in the UK,” John Rose added, “we know that local action does not only help to protect the environment, but also offers plenty of other benefits that people and communities can reap to help them thrive. That’s why it’s great to see people are keen to get involved locally in 2020.”

The survey shows that some people are already aware of the benefits community involvement has, including bringing the community together (49%), making new friendships and connections (42%) , and improved mental and physical wellbeing amongst participants (40%) .

All these benefits are coming to life at Wibsey Community Garden in Bradford.

Run by Bradford Community Environment Project, the garden produces home grown fruit and veg, as well as developing wildlife spaces and a new orchard thanks to a small but vital grant of £9,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund.

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