Forty-one community projects set up to tackle the Cost of Living crisis and climate change have been awarded grants from Perth and Kinross Council’s Green Living Fund after a public vote.
Community groups across Perth and Kinross were able to bid for a share of over £225,000 worth of funding to support their projects. Eligible bids then went to a public vote, with the most popular receiving funding. Almost 5,000 votes were cast by over 2,000 people.
Projects had to be developed along the following themes.
- Energy – reducing consumption, promoting energy efficiency and use of renewables
- Transport – encouraging active travel, use of public transport and decarbonising transport
- Waste and circular economy – reducing waste, reuse and recycle, including foodshare projects
- Resilience – improving greenspace, biodiversity, local food growing and adapting to climate change, flood mitigation and other community resilience projects set up to respond to climate events
- Engagement – increasing public awareness and engaging communities
A total of £226,505.65 was available with the total funding pot split between seven different locality areas of Perth and Kinross. Successful bids include Social Flock’s School Uniform Bank in Perth, which will receive £10,625, and Kirkmichael Community Garden, which has been awarded £7,500. (see below).
Perth and Kinross Council leader councillor Grant Laing announced the winners. He said: “The Green Living Fund will support a fantastic array of projects across Perth and Kinross.
“We are committed to working with our communities and I am pleased there was such an interest in the Green Living Fund, with more than 2,000 people having their say on where they wanted to see money spent.
“I am sure these projects – big and small – will make a real difference to the lives of people in communities across Perth and Kinross.
“I’d like to thank everyone who submitted proposals and all those who voted.”
Councillor Richard Watters, convenor of Perth and Kinross’s Climate Change and Sustainability Committee said: “We understand the pressure the Cost of Living crisis is putting people under and so it is great to see the ideas community groups put forward.
“Support from the Green Living Fund will not only help address this but also help to tackle climate change and make Perth and Kinross a greener, more sustainable place to live.”
Green Fund Winners
Eastern Perthshire
- Kirkmichael Community Garden, £7,500
- Wisecraft Blooms: Renewal and wellbeing, £5,435
- Learning How to Upcycle Furniture – Tayside Upcycling and Craft Centre, £5,000
- BaRi Growers – learning how to grow your own food, £340
- Blairgowrie and Rattray DT – Reducing Surplus Food Waste and making it available to all, £3,433
- Net Zero – sustainable future for Madoch Centre, £8,000
- Rattray Community Garden – water collection and running costs, £2,576
- Rooted in Blairgowrie & Rattray – A fruit tree planted for each baby born in Blairgowrie and Rattray, £2,930
- Our Garden Community Opportunity, £3,146
Highland Perthshire
- Handam Tool library in Pitlochry and Aberfeldy, £6,000
- Pitlochry Garden Share – Community food growing in Pitlochry, £5,415
- Birks Cinema – Empowering communities to envisage tangible action through film screening discussions, £2,000
- Draft and Flow CIC – Cycle Hub and Workshop in Aberfeldy, £6,248
Strathtay
- Bankfoot Foodshare Indoor Pantry – No Cost, Low Cost Pantry, £10,156
- Rewilding Denmarkfield – Denmarkfield Allotments Community Hub, £9,988
- Climate Cafe Hub, £5,390
- West Stormont Woodland Group – Wizz7-Warp24, £4,950
- Perthshire Organic Gardeners – From Soil to Seed and Back Again, £3,482
Strathearn and Strathallan
- Cycle Crieff CIC – Cargo bikes and increased bike access and recognition, £5,000
- Auchterarder town bus service, £10,000
- Crieff in Leaf, £3,110
- Remake Refills High Street Location, £7,606
Kinross-shire
- Glenfarg Community Transport Group – Glenfarg Connectivity, £3,000
- Men’s Shed insulation and Heating, £5,000
- Milnathort and Orwell CC – Milnathort Core Paths, £1,456
- Greener Glenfarg Group, £250
- Freewheelers Glenfarg – Batteries for our Community e-bikes – Glenfarg Freewheelers, £1,570
- Kinross-shire Repair Cafe, £1,495
- Broke not Broken: Reducing Food Poverty and Food Miles across Kinross-shire, £8,162
- A Greener Glenfarg Community Centre, £2,930
Almond & Earn
- Dunbarney and Forgandenny Parish Church – A Greener Flexible Space for the Community,£13,000
- Earn Community Council – Bus Shelter – Ember All Electric Inter City Bus Service, £6,538
- Green Shoots – Countryside Climate Champions, £4,361
Perth City
- Social Flock – School Uniform Bank, £10,625
- Letham Climate Action – Supporting a Greener Letham, £2,324
- Churches Action on the Homeless- On the Mend, £11,744
- Letham4All – Waste Not, Want Not, £6,627
- YMCA Tayside – Eco Ambassadors Programme, £8,287
- Giraffe – Perth Good Food Network, £3,438
- Perth Minorities Association – Eco Harmony – Nurturing Sustainable Lifestyles, £3,437
- PLUSPerth – Creating a city centre space for nature and nurture, £3,437