Arran Eco Savvy Community and Arran Community Land Initiative have been awarded Scottish Government funding via Keep Scotland Beautiful's Climate Challenge Fund.
The Climate Challenge Fund is about developing local projects to educate, inform and positively address the challenges we face.
Since the Fund launched in 2008, 986 awards have been made totalling £85.8 million. £9.97 million has been awarded for 2017-18. This comprises £9.09 million from the SNP Government and £888,000 from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The recipients include two projects on Arran:
Arran Eco Savvy Community has been awarded £63,436. Half of this comes from the ERDF and will run the Arran Eco Savvy Reuse & Reduce project. This will reduce local carbon emissions through a sustainable lifestyle road show including low carbon living workshops, upcycling demonstrations and an exhibition of work across Arran. The project will help people develop creative solutions to reuse a host of items including damaged or unwanted fabrics, clothing, bedding and books.
Arran Community Land Initiative has been awarded £52,430 and aims to increase the
amount of food grown on the community land and to make this available locally through the
Arran Fabulous Community Food project. With community involvement, the project aims
to provide healthy, nutritious food with a low carbon footprint for the people on the Isle of
Arran for years to come.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:
“Scotland is making huge progress in delivering our climate change ambitions, but there is still much to achieve and the role of behaviour change and community action is crucial.
“The Climate Challenge Fund supports community projects that inspire people to care about the problem of climate change, consider what it might mean to them in terms of their everyday lives and enable them to take action.”
Added Arran’s MSP Kenneth Gibson
“Eco Savvy and Arran Community Land Initiative are two excellent examples of this approach and I am delighted by their awards. They work with people spanning the whole community, from school children to elderly residents. Both organisations will make a real difference to Arran.”
“Scotland is ambitious for a circular economy, where we make things last for longer. This goes hand-in-hand with our world-leading commitments to tackling climate change internationally, nationally and locally.”
Derek Robertson, Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful commented:
“Climate change impacts all of us and we need collective action to tackle it. On behalf of the SNP Government we have managed the Climate Challenge Fund since its establishment in 2008 and are committed to empowering many more communities to take action on climate change. Our vision is to make Scotland clean, green and more sustainable.”
ENDS
