Tackling Climate Change in Nottingham gets over £1.5 million boost, thanks to National Lottery funding
Today, Nottingham has received the good news that over £1.5 million in National Lottery funding is going to Nottingham Energy Partnership (NEP) alongside Meadows Ozone Energy Services (MOZES), to run the Green Meadows project, which will work with communities across the Meadows to take action and tackle climate change.
The grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, will see the Green Meadows project equip the people of the Meadows with the knowledge, skills and support required to overcome the barriers they face to achieving carbon neutrality. The Meadows area hopes to lead Nottingham’s transformation to a Net Zero Carbon City by 2028, and act as a catalyst for other areas to take on the challenge.
The Green Meadows project will also bring community education, engagement and movement building to the Meadows. Across 5 years, the project will work with the community to build local capability and capacity to find solutions to climate change, backed by resources and ongoing creative activities to provide a wide range of opportunities for engagement with the project.
With homes directly contributing one fifth of global carbon emissions, the need to reduce household energy usage is central to the Meadows’ transition to Zero Carbon.
To achieve a seismic shift in the community’s carbon footprint, the project will provide practical training and resources to build skills and knowledge in local residents and partners, enabling them to adapt their own homes and lifestyles to mitigate climate change, take advantage of grants and subsidies, achieve long term sustainability goals, and improve living and health standards at the same time.
“NEP relocated to the Community Centre in the heart of the Meadows where we were asked by local people to work with them on climate change. One year later we are about to receive the funding from The National Lottery Community Fund that will make this possible. This is a great opportunity, and we are really looking forward to being a part of the Climate Action Fund and getting started in the Spring.”
“Thanks to National Lottery players, we will able to make great strides towards becoming a more Climate Change resilient community in the Meadows and play our part in helping Nottingham to achieve its 2028 Net Zero Carbon target.”
The Green Meadows team, led by Nottingham Energy Partnership, are working to get the project ready for launch in spring 2021. Nottingham is part of the first set of projects, sharing over £19.5 million, to be announced as part of the National Lottery-funded Climate Action Fund; a ten-year £100 million fund that will reduce the carbon footprint of communities demonstrating what is possible when people take the lead in tackling climate change.
All the projects across the UK[i] will work together, share their learning and be active participants in a broader movement of change within and beyond these communities.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, communities across the Meadows in Nottingham will be able to demonstrate what is possible when people take the lead in tackling climate change. From 25 years of funding environmental projects across the UK, we know that local community action can deliver solutions to reduce environmental impact that also offer additional benefits for people to reap.
This year we have been reminded that communities are best placed to understand their places and spaces, and so often play a vital role in responding in a crisis. This funding will directly support people to respond to the climate emergency in their local communities.”
The Climate Action Fund is part of The National Lottery Community Fund’s Environment Strategy, which has seen significant National Lottery investment through community-led projects that are focussed on activities to not only improve the environment, but use it to enhance the lives of people and communities. Since April 2013, the Fund has awarded more than £340 million to environmental projects, through almost 5,000 grants.
Thanks to National Lottery players, £41 billion has been raised for more than 565,000 good causes across the UK since 1994. National Lottery players raise £30 million every week for good causes in the UK. The National Lottery is playing a critical role in supporting people, projects and communities during these challenging times.
To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk