Our strategic commitment to a sustainable future

We recently announced our new strategy to 2030 which will guide how we fund communities over the next seven years. It Starts With Community recognises the importance of community action as a catalyst for profound change.

As part of this we’ve pledged our support to tackle some of the big social challenges facing the UK.

Today, one of the biggest challenges we face is the threat of climate change and the impact it has, not just on a global scale, but on the towns, cities and communities in which we live.

Whether it’s addressing incidents of flooding, increased levels of pollution, or the impacts of a warmer planet on local biodiversity, the collective action of empowered communities is addressing the challenges of climate change right across the UK. By creating this enabling environment, communities are now facilitating behavioural change, establishing new social norms, and influencing new policies and systems.

This is why, in our new strategy, we have included environmental sustainability as one of our four community-led missions.

This means funding projects that:

• reduce carbon emissions and negative environmental impact
• create positive environmental impacts
• establish equality of access to the natural environment
• improve the quality of natural spaces.
  

Spearheading our larger environmental grant making programmes in recent years has been the Climate Action Fund (CAF), which is currently accepting applications from communities across the UK addressing the energy and climate challenge.

£8.5 million is available for between eight to 12 projects across the UK that show how communities can address climate change while tackling the energy challenge through community-led action. We are looking to support community-driven projects that will help communities benefit from energy efficiency and sustainable energy solutions, inspire large-scale action, and promote long-term sustainable behaviours.

Changing our energy usage will positively affect the climate, reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality while providing financial, health, and social advantages.

This funding is not for large capital projects like installing solar panels, but we welcome applications from projects aiming to remove barriers, engage communities, build capacity, and inspire action on climate change and sustainable practices on energy use.

We have also committed £1.5 million to establish a UK-wide Energy Learning Network which we believe will support the community energy sector to better share knowledge and learning.

Read our blog on what we’re looking for

One project that has benefited from CAF funding and one that welcomes our renewed commitment to environmental projects is Nottingham Energy Partnership.

In 2020 they were awarded over £1.5m from The National Lottery Community Fund for their Future-Fit Homes scheme. This funding allowed the community-led project to provide free tailored home energy assessments, delivered to households by trained experts, to identify a long-term plan of suggested home improvements.

They have also opened a climate hub in the area providing regular workshops to help Meadows residents make their own home improvements, as well as introducing ‘climate champions’, Meadows residents who volunteer to support their community and lead climate action initiatives.

Heather Ince, Project Manager at Green Meadows, said: “Since starting the project, we have learned that lasting impact will only come through working closely with the community and responding to their needs. The National Lottery Community Fund’s aim to increase the amount of funding for community projects between 2023-2030 is a necessary step towards an inclusive sustainable future.”

National Lottery Awards for All has proven to be a vital source of funding for community-based environmental organisations across the UK and from autumn this year groups will be able to apply for up to £20,000 over a two-year period. We are delighted, as this means more projects can access this important support.

One environmental organisation that has welcomed the news is Operation Farm Limited in Tameside, Greater Manchester, which has received ten National Lottery Awards for All grants over the years. Most recently it was awarded just under £10,000 for its Greening Tamside initiative, which involves introducing more environmental practices to nearby community food growing projects.

Jonathan Atkinson, a committee member at Operation Farm, said: “Greening Tameside is all about adding more environmental aspects to the community allotment growing and community orchard maintenance work we already do. That means offering our volunteers and beneficiaries new skills such as composting skills, 'no dig' methods and growing with peat-free compost. These are approaches that help people grow more local food, but in a way that minimises environmental impact and helps tackle climate change.

“The cost-of-living crisis and inflation have put pressure on community group finances - extending the Awards for All help is a very welcome move. A focus on reducing carbon emissions and improving environmental impacts is very welcome; tackling climate change starts at a grassroots level and supporting communities to act is essential.”

Find out more about National Lottery Awards for All funding.

No matter where you are based in the UK many of our funding programmes can support activity which focuses on the environment. Find out more information