National Lottery funding helps families save money through climate action

Helping people to reduce their cost of living and learn new skills to support themselves while looking after the environment, are top priorities for the 30 projects funded today by The National Lottery Community Fund.

Over £230,000 has been awarded in Northern Ireland from Together for Our Planet, a National Lottery funding programme to help communities take climate action. The UK-wide programme is helping people grow their own produce, reduce waste, learn about repairing and upcycling and improving their local area.

One of the projects receiving funding is Causeway Urban and Rural Network (CRUN) in Coleraine who have received £6,200 to teach people the skills to repair and upcycle clothes and create items from furniture or household items that were going to landfill.

Ann McNickle, CRUN Project Manager, said: “We are so grateful for this National Lottery funding so we can make a big difference through our Trash to Treasure project. We ran a small pilot with young people and one girl had a dress ready for the bin and we helped her turn it into a jumpsuit to wear at the weekend.

“They all became whizzes on the sewing machine and it completely changed their mindset. Instead of them buying something new they swapped with their friends and created new clothes. They saved money and learned skills they now have for life.”

Ann explained that the organisation also is working with Causeway Coast and Glens Council staff who will pass on items that could be upcycled instead of going to landfill. She added: “We also plan to work with local charity shops to sell the furniture or people can give it to friends or families, it really is for the collective good - saving money, helping each other and supporting the environment. Thank you, National Lottery players, for making this possible.”

Another project receiving funding for climate action is Ladybird Children’s Services in Bangor. They are using £4,564 to work with children, their parents and older people from Oakmount Residential Home, to educate, share skills and develop actions for ways to reduce waste, save energy and enhance biodiversity.

Tracy Harrison, Manager of Ladybird Children’s Services, said: “Taking action on climate change is vital for our children’s future. Thanks to National Lottery players we are able to take small, but important steps, to teach our children the importance of a greener planet and ways they can make changes to our centre, at home and in the community to make a more positive future and save money.

“Through a forest school programme and imaginary play activities we’ll educate children and their parents about the environment, food waste, growing your own food, composting and recycling – helping them learn to be more sustainable.

“The children will gain some knowledge and skills to lead more climate-aware lives that they can build on when they move onto primary school.”

The Cabbage Patchers in Warrenpoint have been awarded a £10,000 grant to deliver food-related activities for all ages to promote the links between gardening, cooking and wellbeing.

Colette Ruddy, Secretary of The Cabbage Patchers, said: “We’re delighted to receive this National Lottery funding and our dream is to enable people to grow their own food or source it in a sustainable way, to take small local actions, think about their carbon footprint, and to have a ‘field to fork’ mentality.

“Our sustainable food project will be combined with our growing programme to bring local people together and to give them the tools, resources and information to improve their lives as a community working together for the planet.”

Paul Sweeney, The National Lottery Community Fund’s Northern Ireland Chair, said: “Climate change is under the world’s spotlight and people are seriously concerned about issues such as increased energy costs. It is encouraging to see people taking action locally across Northern Ireland. We know communities have a big role to play – even small steps can make a big difference.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, we are able to support local climate action, funding innovative projects that are part of the drive towards net zero and that enables people and communities to thrive.”

The National Lottery Community Fund has awarded £5 million in small grants from the Together for Our Planet programme, to support hundreds of communities across the UK to create a legacy of community-led climate action. Since 2016, we have awarded £397 million through more than 6,000 grants which involve environmental action, including action on waste and consumption, energy, transport, food and the natural environment.

For more information on applying for our funding programmes visit https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/northern-ireland