- Area:
- North East England
- Programme:
- Communities Living Sustainably
- Release date:
- 6 3 2012
Communities in Middlesbrough, Sunderland, and Newcastle upon Tyne are today receiving funding from the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) to jump start detailed planning for more sustainable living.
Fuel poverty, rising food prices and scarce resources are just some of the issues in the sights of BIG’s Communities Living Sustainably programme, which aims to inspire people to adapt the way they live, work and connect together to reap financial, environmental and health gains.
The four projects are part of a group of 
30 across the country
- 52KB receiving up to £10,000 to work in partnership with local people, councils, schools, businesses and voluntary groups to draw up detailed plans on how their community can be greener.
Later in the year, ten of the schemes will be chosen to receive up to £1 million to deliver their ideas. The learning gained from the ten funded projects over a five year period will be shared with other communities in England to inform and influence others on how communities can become more sustainable.
Middlesbrough Environment Trust has received £10,000 to develop its plans, which include reducing flooding from watercourses by building an understanding of water as a valuable resource, contingency planning with communities on specific flooding issues and ensuring that communities are fully prepared for extremes in weather.
Its plans also aim to reduce carbon emissions from fossil fuels and tackle fuel poverty, reduce emissions from food production by creating local food supply chains, promoting healthy low meat diets, encouraging organic growing methods, minimising waste and promoting reuse of waste materials, while also seeking to improve recycling rates.
Sunderland Black and Ethnic Minority Network Ltd also receives £10,000 to develop its ideas, which include tackling fuel poverty and financial exclusion with debt and welfare advice, raising awareness of low carbon opportunities, recycling and using allotments to grow food locally, reducing private transport journeys and using appliances more efficiently. The project will focus on the Southwick, Millfield, Pallion and Hendon areas.
The Workers Educational Association receives £10,000 for plans in the Wingrove area of the inner West End of Newcastle upon Tyne. The organisation will develop its plans to promote efficient use of energy to cut fuel bills, recycle materials and garden waste, manage water to reduce the impact on drainage systems, and involve the community in tree and shrub planting.
The Scotswood Natural Community Garden Ltd receives £9,938 to develop their plans to target private landlords and help residents address fuel poverty and low recycling rates, as well as how to produce food locally, become more active and deal with extremes in weather.
James Turner, Big Lottery Fund’s Head of the North East region, said: “We want to support local communities to make greener choices to improve their quality of life and help them to become resilient to the changing environment. The small steps being taken by these projects will have a big impact and will hopefully spark a change in behaviour that makes sustainable living second nature to us all.”
To help them achieve their goals, a partnership led by Groundwork UK and including BRE, Federation of City Farms, Energy Savings Trust and nef has been appointed to deliver support, advice and guidance to the community partnerships. They will also establish a learning support network to capture and share learning with other communities and to inform the future development of investments in BIG’s Sustainable and Resilient Communities strategy. (www.communitieslivingsustainably.org.uk)
Communities Living Sustainably is part of the Big Lottery Fund’s £50m Sustainable and Resilient Communities strategy, which aims to encourage behaviour change amongst individuals and communities so they can cope better with the environmental, economic and social impacts of a changing climate. Vulnerable people, including those on low-incomes or older people, are less likely to cope with the negative effects of climate change such as floods and heat waves or severe cold weather.
Further Information
Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours media contact: 07867 500 572
Full details of the Big Lottery Fund programmes and grant awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Ask BIG a question here: https://ask.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Follow BIG on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BigLotteryFund #BIGlf
Find BIG on facebook: www.facebook.com/BigLotteryFund
Notes to Editors
- The Big Lottery Fund (BIG), the largest distributor of National Lottery good cause funding, is responsible for giving out 46% of the money raised for good causes by the National Lottery.
- BIG is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need and has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. Since June 2004 BIG has awarded over £4.4bn.
- The Fund was formally established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
- Since the National Lottery began in 1994, 28p from every pound spent by the public has gone to good causes. As a result, over £27 billion has now been raised and more than 370,000 grants awarded across arts, sport, heritage, charities, health, education and the environment.
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