The National Lottery Community Fund has announced that thanks to spend from National Lottery players, almost £3m has been awarded to communities in Wales to tackle climate change.
Two organisations within the country have been awarded grants totalling £2,738,621 from The National Lottery Community Fund Climate Action Fund. This funding will now be used to take climate action within their respective communities and to help safeguard the environment for future generations to enjoy.
The grants form part of a wider initiative which has seen 14 payments be made across the UK totalling over £14m. These, in turn, are the first that have been awarded under the £100m Climate Action Fund.
Rachel Sharp, Chief Executive Officer, Wildlife Trusts Wales, said: “The Welsh Wildlife Trusts are thrilled to have this opportunity to work alongside young people and their communities to help tackle climate change and reverse the decline of nature in Wales.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, we now have the chance to empower and inspire the next generation of environmental leaders in Wales, and pave the way for a future in which the health of our communities is viewed as inextricably linked to the health of our natural environments.”
North Wales Wildlife Trust will receive £2,499,871 to bring together each of the five local Wildlife Trusts in Wales and empower young people across Wales to take the lead on local climate action in their own communities, with the partnership looking to work in Anglesey, North Powys, Ceredigion, Cardiff and Newport.
The second grant, with a value of £238,750 has been awarded to Welcome to Our Woods in Rhondda Cynon Taff. This figure will be used to further develop the local community’s vision of the Rhondda valley by utilising the local land and timber forest to establish several green-economy projects.
In addition to this, the group will explore ways of living and working which contribute to a positive climate impact and reduce the carbon footprint at a community-wide scale, whilst also planning on creating economic and social opportunities for ‘the community to thrive’.
John Rose, Wales Director of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “People understand the impact that climate change is having on our communities. The Climate Action Fund is part of our commitment to support people and communities to take the lead in tackling climate change make changes where they live to take action against climate change.
“As the largest funder of community activity in the UK we know that communities are best placed to understand and act on tackling climate change. That’s why it’s fantastic to see them take the lead on protecting the environment thanks to money raised by National Lottery players.”