More than £1m awarded to climate change projects

More than £1m has been allocated to community projects tackling climate change, including solar panels for an arts centre, a bike recycling scheme and a repair cafe.

South Cambridgeshire District Council has awarded money to 110 community projects since the scheme was launched in 2019. This year £171,000 is being awarded to 14 groups, out of 37 applicants.

The Wysing Arts Centre in Bourne, Cambridgeshire, recently installed 32 solar panels, four air source heat pumps, electric vehicle charging points and a 7,500-litre rainwater harvesting tank, part funded by the scheme.

Director Rosie Cooper said: "I'm thrilled to see this project completed and already making such a difference."

The Wysing Arts Centre's projects cost £151,000, with £15,000 of this coming from the district council and the remainder from Arts Council England, Cambridgeshire County Council, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Thalia and Garfield Weston Foundation.

The centre said savings generated by the improvements at its 11-acre site would be reinvested in free workshops and skills programmes for young people.

Cooper said: "It's an incredibly difficult time for cultural organisations, and we're incredibly grateful to all the partners and funders who helped make this landmark project possible."

Elsewhere, villagers in Harston raised £6,000 through cake sales, coffee mornings and quiz nights before securing a further £12,500 grant for solar panels and battery storage at the village hall.

A repair cafe, Cambridge Carbon Footprint, received £15,000 towards a project costing nearly £50,000 to encourage new volunteer groups and improve access to skilled repairers.

Cam Valley Forum received £6,000 towards making a short film, titled The Cambridge Water Crisis: How We Can All Help, aimed at encouraging residents to reduce water consumption.

Applications for the latest round of Zero Carbon Communities grant fund rose from 23 last year to 37 this year, according to council papers.

There have been eight funding rounds which were awarded on two grounds: carbon emissions reduction, or community engagement on climate change.

A report being discussed by councillors on Tuesday said: "The grant programme provides support for community climate action, in line with the council's commitment to assist communities, including promotion of sustainable behavioural change, reduced reliance on fossil fuels, increased resilience and adaptation, and the transition to net zero."

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