Seed funding for Edinburgh communities to combat climate change
Since Scotland’s Climate Festival launched during COP26, just over 100 days ago, environmental charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful has funded four projects in Edinburgh to support ambitions to host a climate festival event.
Across Scotland 30 projects from 13 local authority areas – from the Highlands to the Borders – have received funding of up to £500, to help them inspire their communities to take action on climate change – and there is still time to apply before the deadline of 1 March.
The first project to receive funding was Falkirk Delivers to support a two-day event, Shop26, in Falkirk town centre. Since then, the seed funding has supported festivals themed around food, waste, growing, energy, travel, culture, conversations and policy.
The funding supported four projects in Edinburgh including:
- Granton Goes Greener and Granton Parish Church – £450. An eco-fayre with art and craft upcycling workshops, a sustainable fashion show encouraging second-hand clothes, a creative writing session and surplus food on offer.
- The Salisbury Centre – £500. A day for the community to discover how to use the new seed library and learn about seed saving and food growing, using interactive workshops, demonstrations, storytelling and creative play.
- Greenbank Pre-School – £100. A Big Dig Day inviting all families to visit the nursery garden to upcycle, refresh the space and plant seeds and seedlings.
- Milan Senior Welfare Organisation – £500. A three-day community event for elderly South Asian communities and unpaid carers, with information and practical activities to raise awareness of climate change and climate action.
To support local event organisers, online Festival Forum events have also taken place, bringing together projects all working to a common goal to share their experiences and learnings.
Paul Wallace, Campaigns and Social Innovation Manager, said, “Now, more than 100 days since world leaders met to discuss climate change in Glasgow at COP26, there is even more urgency for us to support climate action so that everyone, from all areas of life, can play their part combatting the climate emergency.
“We’re delighted to have been able to fund 30 projects so far, including the four in Edinburgh, and strongly encourage others to find out more about the funding available and make their applications before the upcoming deadline at the start of next month.”
Alongside the wide range of local climate festival events, the charity’s Climate Festival team has held a national event series which is free and open to all.
These events have created space for conversations around climate change and positive actions we can take to tackle it. The inaugural event was in December and kicked off discussions with a crucial conversation on the outcomes and opportunities following COP26 and what is next for Scotland.
Since then, further events have included a panel of experts talking about women’s roles in sustainable food systems, an online film screening and discussion session with the makers of the documentary ‘Scotland: Our Climate Journey’ and a panel discussion on the Wellbeing Economy with Minister and MSP Lorna Slater.
The recordings of Scotland’s Climate Festival national events can be found on YouTube and people can sign up to attend future online and in person events in March, including ‘Storytelling for Change’ on March 8 and a film screening of ‘The Ants and the Grasshopper’ at Glasgow Science Centre on March 14, via Eventbrite.
Scotland’s Climate Festival is supported by the Scottish Government.
Further information can be found at:
www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/climatefestivalscot
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