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The Community Foundation has partnered with the Going Green Together project to help the VCSE sector gain vital support in their strategic response to the climate crisis.
Become Green Together is a programme delivered through VONNE’s Going Green Together project, helping over 60 organisations across the North East and Cumbria create and implement environmental strategies to respond to the climate crisis. Participants are supported to calculate and reduce their carbon footprint, reduce their energy and resource usage, set practical targets and create policies which work for them, and underscore their progress through accreditation with Investors in the Environment.
The programme is both a first step for organisations wanting to become a more environmentally sustainable workplace, but is equally suited for those wanting to take climate action to the next level. It’s a crucial tool to help VCSE sector organisations get ahead of the changing landscape of legislation and procurement surrounding the climate crisis.
Ross Wilson, Senior Philanthropy Advisor at the Community Foundation said:
“VONNE is doing some excellent work across the region to support the sector to develop environmental strategies, which will help organisations to become more self-sufficient, as well as responsible and conscientious members of their communities.
“The Community Foundation is keen to explore how we can better help local charities and community groups to operate their buildings more sustainably, and this work will help to inform the direction that we might look to take in the future”.
The Community Foundation has provided bursaries to remove financial barriers for organisations who want to take part. Sixteen bursaries of £303.43 are available for organisations in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, which covers the full cost of taking part for small organisations, or will provide a subsidy for larger organisations.
Nathaniel Spain, the Project Coordinator of Going Green Together, said:
“We’re delighted that Community Foundation has provided this support for organisations who want to get involved in the Become Green Together programme.
“The bursary scheme will remove financial barriers to taking part and makes positive environmental change more accessible. This is vitally important in making climate action impactful and successful across sectors, regions, and communities.
“We look forward to welcoming more organisations onto the programme through this bursary scheme and encourage anyone who is interested to get in touch while bursaries are available.”
Going Green Together are particularly interested in expressions of interest from organisations responsible for community buildings and spaces, and a certain number of these bursaries will be set aside for this purpose, although other voluntary and community organisations are invited to apply.
To register interest for a bursary, please email the project coordinator, Nathaniel Spain, at nathaniel.spain@vonne.org.uk.
The final round of applications to Become Green Together closes on the 30th September 2023. You can read more about the opportunity and how to apply through the Going Green Together website: https://www.goinggreentogether.org/