The team at ACVO has been in touch to tell us about the 13 community groups and charities that have been awarded grants from the Scottish government’s Just Transition Fund. These organisations will each receive a share of £333,333 for their environmentally friendly projects in Aberdeen, chosen by a public vote last month.
ACVO’s Maggie Hepburn was impressed by the enthusiasm shown by the general public to be involved in voting for projects. She said: “I hope people can see that their votes have had real benefit for the third sector organisations who were successful.”
Local people guide how the region moves towards net zero
ACVO, who promote and foster the growth and participation of the Third Sector in Aberdeen, said the goal of the funding is to allow local people to have a say in how the region moves towards net zero emissions.
NESCAN Hub helps communities work together to organise climate projects, providing training, help and support. The two organisations have collaborated on distributing the grants. They have been focusing on projects that align with the needs and priorities of local communities.
Transportation is the main focus of many of the funding awards. Somebody Cares, Aberdeen Science Centre, Alcohol and Drugs Action, North East Sensory Services, Tillydrone Community Council and Camphill Wellbeing Trust have all chosen to use the grants to purchase and operate electric vehicles. This will of course help lower emissions for their services.
Cafe and community space Greyhope Bay has been awarded £11,000. This will be used to implement a recycling and waste management system at Torry Battery. Meanwhile, Cornhill Community Association has been awarded £16,625 to establish a community garden in the Cornhill/Stockethill area of the city.
The ‘Family Food: Fresh and Frugal’ initiative at Garthdee Field Allotments has been awarded £20,789 in funding. This project involves allotment volunteers collaborating with students at Kaimhill Primary School to cultivate and cook their own vegetables. Additionally, The 9th Aberdeen Scout Group has been awarded £30,000 to make their Scout Hut in Broomhill more environmentally friendly. The group will achieve this through upgrades such as better insulation and roofing.
More green projects
Friends of Westfield Park got £10,400 for improvements to the park. They plan to add a container with a plant-covered “green roof” and also shelters for community events. The Allotment Market Stall, which takes place at parks across the city, received £13,590 to build a toilet that turns waste into compost at their Grove Nursery location.
Lastly, the Bonnymuir Green Community Trust has been awarded funding of £3,900 to assist in the maintenance of their community green space.
The Scottish Government launched the Just Transition Fund back in May 2022. This ten-year fund of £500 million is intended to help the North-East region transition to net-zero emissions.
Further details of the successful projects, as well as details of the free funding support offered by ACVO for charities and community groups in Aberdeen, can be found on their website.
About POST
Kevin Mitchell and Chris Sansbury founded POST. This was from a desire to cut through the noise to share the great things that happen in Aberdeen. They focus on community, culture and also the interesting people of the city. The local artists, businesses and charities; photographers, musicians and entertainers. These are the people that make a positive impact on our city every day. So they use video, audio, writing and social media to amplify the voices in our community. And to ultimately give a platform to Aberdeen folk to engage and tell their own stories.
Recent work includes coverage of Spectra 2023, interviews with We Are Here Scotland founder Ica Headlam; Paralympic gold medalist, Neil Fachie; Aberdeen rapper Chef and his push for success; an article about the pedestrianisation of Union Street; coverage of Nuart Aberdeen and TEDx Aberdeen, as well as coverage of the campaign to Save the Belmont.