South Hams District Council is joining forces with Crowdfunder to encourage and support projects and ideas that will help the district to tackle the climate emergency.
The South Hams Climate Action and Biodiversity Fund is offering match funding of up to £10,000 for projects within the district that align with the Council’s Climate Change and Biodiversity Strategy. It’s hoped that the match-funding will provide crucial revenue to environmental projects that will help to make the South Hams become carbon neutral, improve its biodiversity and create climate resilient communities.
Cllr Tom Holway, South Hams Executive Member for Climate Change, said: “We are all aware of the huge challenge we face as a society in dealing with climate change. South Hams District Council is committing to playing our part in the fight, as shown in our extensive Climate Change and Biodiversity Strategy.
“Working with Crowdfunder to help secure match-funding for local community projects is another way we can help the District reach its goals and make sure we all play our part in tackling the climate emergency.
“We know that the residents of the South Hams are passionate about the natural beauty of our area and many are working hard to protect our planet; we hope this funding can be of some use to those in the community working hard on environmental projects.”
To apply for funding, you need a crowdfunding project. You must first demonstrate strong local support by getting to 25% of your crowdfunding target from a minimum of 25 unique supporters before being considered. If you receive a match-funding pledge from the South Hams Climate Action and Biodiversity Fund, but the amount does not take you to your crowdfunding target, you must continue crowdfunding until you hit the target.
Projects must support South Hams District Council’s Climate Change and Biodiversity Strategy in one of the following ways to be considered:
- Reducing carbon emissions from households, businesses or organisations, including community and voluntary groups.
- Creating new opportunities for renewable energy – higher levels of match funding will be considered for projects providing innovative solutions for heat decarbonisation such as district energy networks.
- Supporting behaviour change and sustainable living.
- Projects which will result in removal of carbon from the atmosphere through nature-based solutions or supporting improvements in biodiversity.
- Providing education and awareness of the climate and ecological emergency through direct engagement with hard-to-reach groups and individuals.
- Projects which aim to help communities and species adapt to the effects of climate change.
- Projects to help reduce organisational carbon footprints, this could include feasibility studies, action plans and emissions studies – (not open to for-profit organisations).
The Council will consider pledging towards crowdfunding targets as follows:
- Up to 50% for constituted community groups and Town & Parish Councils
- Up to 30% for registered not-for-profit organisations
- Up to 20% for incorporated locally based for-profit organisations
To find out more about the project match funding, visit: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/funds/south-hams-climate-fund
To read the South Hams District Council Climate Change and Biodiversity Strategy, visit: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/uploads/_south_hams_climate_change_and_biodiversity_fund__strategy.pdf
