Tackling climate change in Sheffield gets £200,000 boost, thanks to National Lottery funding

National Lottery funding of £200,000 has been awarded to Sheffield Climate Alliance (SCA) to work with communities across the city to take action against the worryingly constant change in climate.

The grant will see SCA work alongside 35 groups to share ways communities can live more sustainably across the Sheffield City Region. The project will create a hub for people to come together and learn about climate action they can take, combat stress and anxiety caused by environmental change, known as climate anxiety, and explore fair and workable ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

Sheffield Climate Alliance was founded in 2011 when a community group working to improve understanding of climate change, joined with other local organisations working on environmental sustainability and social justice. Through this new project announced, people and communities in Steel City will take the lead in helping the region become more climate resilient by sharing learning and experiences with each other.

The innovative project will not only help the local environment but will also bring additional benefits for local people such as, fresher food for families, more choice of environmentally-friendly businesses that are cutting their carbon emissions and cleaner air for residents across the region.

Sam Walby, SCA trustee, said: "We're living through unprecedented times. This is scary, but it's also an opportunity to do things differently - to lift our heads above the horizon and re-focus our efforts. There is a new appetite to start building more sustainable systems, so it's important that we open up conversations with people at neighbourhood level about the climate crisis and why it matters for all of us, which is what we are now able to do thanks to National Lottery funding.

" We’re delighted that Sheffield will benefit from this exciting opportunity to tackle climate action and share learning with other communities across the UK. We encourage anyone - from passionate individuals and the smallest community groups to the city's largest institutions - to join together on this shared journey."

Editor's message: Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues. The Star is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions for unlimited access to Sheffield news and information online. Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.