Are you thinking about applying to the second funding round of the Green Shoots Community Climate Change Fund, but not sure where to start?

Warwickshire County Council and Warwickshire CAVA have got you covered with a new ‘meet the funders’ webinar on Tuesday, 7th June between 6.00pm and 7.00pm.

The event, hosted by Warwickshire CAVA over Microsoft Teams, will give local groups and organisations an opportunity to find out more about the fund, understand the application process and ask questions of the expert panel. The hour-long event will include information about the Green Shoots fund, the application process and a question and answer session.

Demand for this event is expected to be high, so all interested parties should book places now at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wcc-green-shoots-community-climate-change-fund-2022-tickets-349509441147

The agenda for this event will be:

• 6.00-6.05 pm Welcome and Housekeeping – WCAVA
• 6.05- 6.15 pm –Climate Change Overview – WCC
• 6.15- 6.40 pm – Overview of the Green shoots fund and the application process – WCC
• 6.40- 6.55 pm – Q.A
• 6.55 pm – Support from WCAVA and close

In the first round of Green Shoots funding, 69 climate change mitigation and adaptation projects from across Warwickshire shared in £625,000 of Green Shoots funding. Now the fund will be reopen to new applications in June 2022 with a focus on projects that benefit Nuneaton and Bedworth and North Warwickshire.

Warwickshire County Council are once again seeking applications that:

• increase the adaptability and resilience of Warwickshire to the effects of climate change;
• reduce impacts on the environment; and
• ensure funded projects benefit the wider Warwickshire community.

The  Council is keen to see project applications from:

• ‘Not-for-profit’ community and voluntary organisations in Warwickshire
• Town and Parish Councils
• Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council – as it does not have Town or Parish Councils
• schools, if applying as a PTA or ‘Friends of…’ group, excluding independently-funded schools.

Like any funding, there are certain general criteria which this fund seeks to support. These include, but are not limited to:

• mitigating or adapting to climate change and the environment
• benefits to the local community and connections between other groups and projects
• development of awareness in environmental issues and capacity building of local communities
• legacy and long-term impacts
• project risks and mitigation steps.

The current round of funding will be open for applications between Friday, 17th June and Monday, 19th September 2022.

There is no lower limit on how much a project can be funded for, but an upper limit on the costs of proposed projects has been set at £25,000.

Heather Timms, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for Environment, Heritage and Culture, said: “The Warwickshire Green Shoots Community Climate Change Fund is something that we are very proud of. The first round saw so many fantastic projects funded from around the county and now we are keen to build on that success in our second round of funding.

“There is already lots of fantastic work going on within Warwickshire County Council and our communities across the county to help reduce Carbon footprints and minimise the effects we all have on our fast-changing climate.

“This time around, we are hoping to see more applications from Nuneaton and Bedworth and North Warwickshire because we want to ensure that this valuable funding is distributed evenly across the county. I hope as many community and voluntary organisations in these areas take advantage of this call to action and together we strive for a Warwickshire that is sustainable now and for future generations.

“For organisations that are unsure where to start with their Green Shoots Fund application, the ‘meet the funders’ event with WCAVA promises to be a must-add to calendars and I would urge anyone interested to book one of the limited places as quickly as possible to avoid disappointment.”

Book a place now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wcc-green-shoots-community-climate-change-fund-2022-tickets-349509441147

For more information about the scheme or to download and submit an application form for funding, visit: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/greenshootsfund

For more information about how Warwickshire County Council is facing the challenges of the climate change emergency, visit: https://www.warwickshireclimateemergency.org.uk/