VONNE has secured funding for our environmental project Going Green Together, thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund, Point North, and Tees Foundation. This follows a successful pilot which ran for two years from June 2022. We reached over 200 VCSE organisations through events, resources and training to help them become environmentally sustainable and take action on the climate crisis.
Over three years, the project aims to support more organisations to reduce their carbon footprint and act in a more environmentally sustainable way. This means they can both make a meaningful contribution to a greener future, and adapt to a changing landscape of environmental requirements from funders and partners.
Going Green Together also aims to bring about cultural change, to help the VCSE sector understand the value of climate action and the opportunities it brings, and make sure it is an organisational priority.
Nathaniel Spain, Going Green Together Project Coordinator, said:
“Community organisations have a fantastic potential to kickstart change through their relationships with local people, and their knowledge of the social issues and barriers that limit our collective ability to move to a green future. Going Green Together’s aim is to help voluntary and community organisations of all sizes understand how the climate emergency impacts them, adapt to these impacts, and make climate action work for their local community.”
The project is delivered in partnership with environmental experts Genee, who support organisations to achieve eco-accreditation through Investors in the Environment, and carbon management and footprinting experts SmartCarbon, whose tools allow organisations to track and reduce their carbon footprints.
A coalition of likeminded organisations, called the VONNE Climate Action Alliance, will use the project to find new ways for the North East to ensure a fairer, greener future and protect communities against the impacts of climate change.
VONNE will also be working with Cumbria CVS and Cumbria Action for Sustainability to take learning forwards from the pilot to develop an additional support offer for Cumbria's VCSE sector.
Duncan Nicholson, Regional Head of Funding for North East & Cumbria at The National Lottery Community Fund, said:
“Supporting communities to be environmentally sustainable is one of our key missions at The National Lottery Community Fund, so we are delighted to be funding the Growing Green Together project. The commitment VONNE has made to working in partnership to provide environmental education and training to community groups and voluntary organisations throughout the North East will have an impact right across the region and inspire even more people to tackle climate change locally.”
The project is currently gearing up to redevelop the Going Green Together website and to launch a new programme of events and training opportunities in Autumn 2024. You can keep informed about opportunities through this programme by signing up to the Going Green Together monthly mailing on our eBulletins page. You can contact the project coordinator at Nathaniel.Spain@vonne.org.uk.