Introduction

These community grants for climate projects are an initiative of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and are being coordinated by Local Authorities in accordance with local priorities.

 

Goals of the Community Grants for Climate projects Fund

These Community Grants for Climate Projects will bring people, investment and funding together for the greatest impact, by supporting community proposals for greener, cleaner and climate-ready neighbourhoods, which prioritise:

•             local, clean, and flexible energy solutions

•             healthy, affordable, and efficient buildings

•             walking, cycling and public transport

•             green and climate ready nature solutions.

Disengaged and disadvantaged communities have a more acute barrier to participation in climate-related activities. Community organisations are central to developing a neighbourhood approach to the climate emergency by engaging and bringing communities together to work towards common goals. Introducing projects at a neighbourhood-level across West Yorkshire to support climate resilience, regeneration, and sustainability, will ensure that local solutions are delivered for neighbourhoods, whilst enabling partnerships and networks, and increasing accessibility for net zero carbon adaptation.

Expected Output for the Fund across West Yorkshire

• Recovery and enhancement of nature
• Increases in biodiversity, green spaces and trees, and natural environments.
• Increase in the number of zero carbon and environment projects being developed and implemented in the region.
• Warm, healthy, affordable and low carbon homes, energy efficient workplaces
• More local, clean, and flexible energy
• Reduction in energy and fuel costs for residents and third sector organisations
• Ensuring the region is adapted and resilient to the worst impacts of a changing climate.

Projects delivered through Community Grants for Climate projects will prioritise themes which result in the above outcomes:

• local, clean, and flexible energy solutions
• healthy, affordable, and efficient buildings
• walking, cycling and public transport.
• green and climate-ready nature solutions

 

Calderdale climate projects Priorities

Calderdale has been allocated £140k and the priority for this money will be the development of Community Climate Action plans in the Calderdale Ward areas of Park and Warley.

The Opportunity

There are lots of solutions that can be implemented right now in Calderdale. Working with existing community groups and developing new ones is essential. We will create a Net Zero world that is fair for everyone and that we can all feel part of. Many community groups in Calderdale are already leading the way on climate action. They are creating a sense of belonging, showing what is possible and supporting each other to help ideas to grow.

We want to provide the right advice and support that will enable community groups and individual people to take climate action. This will allow everyone to live happy, healthy, and sustainable lives.

Key Actions

• Launch Low-Carbon Community Advice Hubs
• Projects to support the transition to net zero in communities.
• Spread the word about building a better, brighter, Zero Carbon Calderdale
• Help people build sustainable lives across the things we buy and the food that we eat
• Support communities taking action
• Help places develop Neighbourhood Climate Action Plans

This is the Action Plan from the Calderdale Climate Action Plan:

What types of Projects this could fund? Here are some ideas, but what do you think?

• Neighbourhood Climate Action Plans: How can you work in your community to identify how your community can prepare for and meet Carbon Zero, what are the barriers to this, how could you remove them?
• Community Food production: Helping develop sustainable and healthy food locally and encouraging growing, development of wasteland, and development of community allotments etc
• Set up local community action groups for Carbon Zero
• Set up local community advice hubs for helping people with energy efficiency, sustainable lifestyles, achieving carbon zero
• Developing local education and awareness raising projects

 

Types of outcomes for Community Climate Action Plans

• Reduction of emissions from local food production
• Increase in numbers of neighbourhood climate action plans
• New Community Carbon Advice Hubs
• Increase in the number of people actively involved in community climate projects
• Hectares of land brought back into use for sustainable community environment projects
• Tonnes of organic food produced by local food projects.
• Sustainable energy improvements in community buildings.
• Contribute to the development of clean energy generation projects.
• Deliver  schemes which results in reported increases in public transport use, walking and cycling.
• Deliver projects which increase community access to green space and nature.

 

Deploying the available Funds

• Calderdale has iro £140,000 to deploy
• Grants of between £5k and £10k will be available
• There will be larger grants for multi-impact projects and those that aim to be transformational, up to £10,000 with an expectation that projects of this size will also be able to match the funding with either other grants, their own income or the value of land, equipment, volunteer time brought or levered into the project.

 

Calderdale Community Grants for Climate Projects Fund expected timescales

• Soft Fund launched for Expressions of Interest                                         17.7.23
• Fund launched for applications                                                                     8.23
• Deadline for Completed Applications                                                          9.23
• Panel Decisions                                                                                                  10.23
• Grants out to awardees                                                                                   11.23
• Projects must complete by                                                                             30.12.24

 

 

Expressions of Interest

If you are interested in this fund please email Rob Billson rob@cffc.co.uk with the following information:

• Your Name and contact details
• The name of the Organisation applying for the fund
• Brief details of the project and how its fits with the expected outcomes for this fund

For further information, advice and guidance about the fund, please contact Ysa Loveday ysa.loveday@calderdale.gov.uk and Rob Billson, rob@cffc.co.uk

Telephone 01274 349700