Funding for environmental projects in Northumberland

Funding is being made available to help voluntary and community groups in the county with environmental projects.

As part of Northumberland County Council’s strengthened commitment to maintaining and protecting the natural environment, £55,000 is up for grabs through their Environment and Climate Fund.

Groups can apply for up to £5,000 to help with projects that enhance nature and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Applicants must be based in Northumberland and be a volunteer or community group, registered charity, constituted group or club, community interest company (CIC), social enterprise or a Town or Parish Council. Faith groups may also apply, provided their projects are inclusive.

Applications are open until 12noon on Tuesday 14 November 2023 and eligible projects must align with one or more of the Council’s environment and climate change initiatives. This could include reducing emissions, supporting community engagement and education through volunteering activities, improving the energy efficiency of buildings through insulation and retrofitting, encouraging active and sustainable transport, or upgrading waste solutions to support more reducing, reusing, and recycling.

The fund aims to engage the public in environmental matters and encourage active participation, which was set out in the Council’s recently adopted Environment Policy Statement.

Council Leader, Glen Sanderson is encouraging groups to come forward and apply. He said: “The Council is committed to protecting and enhancing our environment and we want to support our community groups wherever possible to join us on our journey to become carbon neutral by 2030.

“There is a clear need for us to explore ways we can all work together to create an environment that works for everyone across our county.

“We have so much to be proud of with our green spaces, spectacular countryside, beautiful coastline, and our amazing wildlife and habitats. As a Council, we’re determined to protect these areas and make improvements where needed.”

The Council is focusing on how the natural environment can help mitigate the effects of climate change and is taking the lead on the North East’s nature recovery which will outline plans to reduce and mitigate flooding, improve carbon sequestration through peatlands, trees and woodlands and enhance biodiversity through wildlife conservation.

Councillor Sanderson continued: “We’ve all got our part to play in improving our environment, whether it’s on a personal level however small, or county-wide and I look forward to seeing more eco projects come to life.”

The funding can be used as match funding to support larger projects but cannot be used as match funding for other Northumberland County Council funded projects.

Exclusions apply. To check your eligibility and to apply, please go to https://nland.cc/envirofund

This grant has:

100% intervention rate (no match funding required)

Cannot be used to match other Northumberland County Council funding

If the fund is not fully allocated in the first round, subsequent rounds will be announced until the fund is fully allocated.

If projects meet all the criteria but are significantly bigger than the £5,000 upper limit, applicants are encouraged to contact the Climate Change team via climate@northumberland.gov.uk

Exclusions

Tree planting project:

That could otherwise be funded. Trees can be obtained through the Council’s free tree scheme. There are other options such as the Tree Council, Woodland Trust, Great Northumberland Forest which and the Association of Tree Officers (ATO) have listed tree planting grants and initiatives currently available to local authorities.

Tree planting projects that are deemed inappropriate on biodiversity grounds. For example, trees in certain locations can provide perching points for predators of breeding waders, such as curlew, golden plover, and lapwing.

All tree planting projects will be discussed with our ecology and Great Northumberland Forest team to deem if they are meet requirements for this funding and not excluded on the above grounds.

Other exclusions:

Projects or activities that do not have an environmental focus or align with the Northumberland County Council’s Climate Change Action Plan.

Entertainment licenses, road closures and traffic management.

Core organisational costs, such as transport and premises

Goods and services already purchased

Personal attire, such as sports kits, uniforms

Tourism/visitors

Social excursions

Food and hospitality

Loan repayments

Fundraising

Annual or repeat funding

Paid posts

Parish Allotment Sites

Religious or political activities

Projects or events that would otherwise already be funded

The funding can be used to match funding to support larger projects but cannot be used to match funding for other Northumberland County Council funded projects.