Climate / Votes aplenty as community groups from Unst to Fair Isle win climate funding
TEN community groups are celebrating after scooping funding at last weekend’s Climate Action Ting participatory budging event.
A total of 12 community groups pitched for votes from members of the public.
After the votes were counted ten groups were victorious, each receiving grant funding of up to £7,500 for projects. The total funding pot available was £60,000.
The event, which culminated in an event at Mareel on Saturday, was hosted by the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub.
It had secured funding from the Coastal Communities Fund, the National Lottery and Zenobe, via Foundation Scotland.
The winning projects were:
• Environment & Climate Change – Shetland Youth Voice £7,440
• Unst’s Sky Trail by E-bike – Wild Skies Shetland £2,893
• Coastal Erosion Project – Sandwick Community Council £6,250
• Stucca Community Garden – Northmavine Community Development Company £2,576
• Fair Isle Goes Under Cover – Fair Isle Development Company £7,500
• Blown Away – Bressay Development Limited £7,000
• Common Thread – Bigton Collective £6,995
• BOAG Growing & Outdoor Activity Space – Bressay Outdoor Activity Group £7,500
• Decarbonising Heath at Scalloway Youth & Community Centre – Scalloway Youth & Community Centre £7,500
• Sandwick Rewilding & Meaningful Opportunities – Sandwick Social & Economic Development Company £6,845
More information on the projects can be found here.
Organisers said they were pleased to see engagement from a wide geographical spread across Shetland.
There was also an online vote where people unable to attend the Mareel event could have their say.
A total of 357 votes were cast.
Speaking about the in-person event, Hub CEO Joan Lawrie said: “Friendly competition occurred as communities discussed projects with one another and the attending public.
“While not every group could be victorious on the day, we see participatory budgeting projects as a way to boost awareness of community groups, their projects and any opportunities they may wish to promote – a project might not secure funding on the day but be lucky enough to secure a few volunteers who believe in what they’re working to achieve.
“The Hub is committed to supporting all groups going forward, those who were funded and those who weren’t so lucky.”
Highlands and Islands Climate Hub community development officer for Shetland Andrea Sanchez Quiroz said she pleased to have welcomed more than 60 attendees to the event.
“In person discussion and engagement is a vital part of the process so we were thrilled to have such an interested and enthusiastic group come along,” she said.
“Some mentioned that they’d come along with an idea of who they would vote for but after hearing more about certain projects, had changed their minds. Projects always have more to them than can be written in a short online pitch.”
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