Communities in West Yorkshire will benefit from grants of up to £50,000 to deliver projects that help their area become greener and more resilient to climate change.
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin has launched the £1.7 million community grants scheme to help cut carbon emissions and make neighbourhoods across the region greener and healthier.
Brabin said that as the area works to deliver its mission of a net zero West Yorkshire by 2038, it is essential that “no community is left behind.”
Projects that could benefit from grants of up to £50,000 include those that protect nature, improve people’s wellbeing through walking and cycling, improve the energy efficiency of buildings, or support the production of renewable energy.
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Each project must demonstrate that it has supported a disadvantaged community and a reduction in carbon emissions.
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority will deliver the funding in partnership with the region’s five local authorities, who will issue the funds according to their local net zero priorities.
The scheme, which is open to community and voluntary groups as well as social enterprises, will provide grants to projects to be delivered by December 2024.
Leader of Bradford Council counsellor Susan Hinchcliffe welcomes the initiative and she hopes it will “inspire community groups to develop and realise some innovative projects to mitigate the effects of climate change and cut carbon emissions.”
“We are also keen to see expressions of interest from underrepresented groups and projects from groups which have no other source of funding.
“It is only by working together across all our communities that we can achieve our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2038,” she added.
