Pendle News Room

This grant Fund launched in September 2021, with 13 successful applicants having so far been allocated money to fund their green projects.

Grant funded projects include recycling schemes, growing vegetables and climate emergency training for teachers.

Councillor Sarah Cockburn-Price, who leads Pendle Council’s Climate Emergency Working Group, said: “This is a fantastic scheme that has been enabling local schools and groups to think globally and act locally.

“There is still almost £10,000 left from the original £25,000 pot allocated by Pendle Borough Council so we’re keen for more community groups and schools to come forward with their own green schemes.

“All of these green action projects support our Climate Emergency Action Plan in Pendle and increase community engagement.

“Climate change should not be seen as someone else’s problem, it’s a collective responsibility.”

Local schools and groups that have received a grant include:

• Bradley Primary School Nelson– £1500 for an Eco Council Recycling Project. An eco-council made up of eight students will lead efforts to enhance recycling opportunities at the school.
• Building a Better Brierfield initiative - £810 to transform a derelict area into a community garden.
• Pendle Community High School and College Gardening for All project - £1,120 to build a raised bed for a sensory garden more accessible to students in wheelchairs.
• Trawden Forest Primary School - £1500 for their Plant to Plate project, which provides for the school through produce created with support from a purchased polytunnel and water butt.
• Higham St John’s CE Primary School – £1500 for their project to install raised beds.
• Roughlee – £800 for Grow Your Own Veg! Aim to build a raised bed for school vegetables and construct a water butt.
• Gisburn Road Primary School – £1500 for Eden Project Changemakers Training funding (£540) for one teacher to support the delivery of climate change learning in the school. The remaining £960 for a Feed the Community project
• Colne Youth Action Group – £1000 for their project to support the delivery of horticulture for young people.

Aidan Stephenson, the Council’s Climate Emergency Officer, is co-ordinating the grant scheme.

He explained: “Community groups can apply for up to £1,000 for local climate initiatives, while schools can apply for grants of up to £1,500.

“These climate grants are already proving useful for a variety of projects, like building raised beds for planting vegetables and installing water butts to help with watering.

 “We welcome grant requests for projects including recycling or reducing single-use plastics - such as installing a water fountain at school to re-fill bottles.”

For details on how to apply, community groups and schools are being urged to visit www.pendle.gov.uk/climateaction