Applications now open for grants of £250 to local groups to help improve local environments
The independent charity Keep Scotland Beautiful has launched its community grant scheme today, looking to build on the 249 community groups already supported across the Lothians. It will award grants of £250 to local groups, allowing them to make small improvements to their local environment. The scheme is being funded from the proceeds of the carrier bag charge collected by Tesco, allowing communities to benefit from the charge that came into force on the 20 October. Tesco’s partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful came after over 27,000 people took part in a vote to establish the retailer’s charity partners for carrier bag charges.
Eligible groups including local neighbourhood/friends groups, local volunteer associations and not-for-profit bodies are all encouraged to submit their application and take advantage of the grants to support work they want to do to create cleaner, greener and happier places. Applications can be made on the Keep Scotland Beautiful website.
The grants will seek to support a wide range of local environment improvement projects including litter prevention and removal, outdoor reuse projects and imaginative planting. However, in order to be successful the projects must demonstrate the following:
- Centred on local action to improve the local environment;
- Delivered in an environmentally sustainable manner;
- Involve and benefit the community, and
- Be volunteer led
Keep Scotland Beautiful currently supports with 249 community groups and projects across the Lothians, working to make a difference to their local environment. The Community Grant Scheme will help make a bigger difference to some of these and the charity is encouraging new projects to come forward and apply – helping to brighten up more of the local area for local residents and visitors alike.
Derek Robertson, Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said:
“The community grant scheme represents a great opportunity for local groups across the Lothians to access funding and promote local environmental improvement. I hope many groups will enter the scheme and use the proceeds to transform a corner of their local community.
“The scheme demonstrates the difference the carrier bag charge can make to our local environments and we’re grateful to Tesco for making this possible.”
Greg Sage, Community Director for Tesco said:
“We’re proud to be partnering with Keep Scotland Beautiful. Together, we have a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference to the environment and communities across Scotland.
“The new grant scheme is a great way to redistribute the money our customers have raised to support local groups doing great environmental work in their area.”
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