Mayor's Climate Change Fund to support wave of exciting new projects

A wave of exciting new projects to protect our environment and cut energy bills at community facilities are set to receive support from the Mayor's Climate Change Fund. The Fund, which provides 50% of funding, up to a maximum of £20,000, for projects to reduce energy usage and help tackle climate change at community buildings, has grown in popularity as awareness has grown of the benefits its support can bring to local organisations such as schools, charities, voluntary groups, parish councils and places of worship. The latest set of applications which meet the fund's criteria include bids for measures such as solar panels, low energy lighting, improved insulation and air source heat pumps. The organisations who are set to benefit from this latest round of grants are the Community and Voluntary Service, Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity, Christ Church and Daubeney Middle, Mark Rutherford Upper and Biddenham Upper Schools.

The Fund has already seen the installation of solar panels at sites across the Borough, including the village hall changing rooms in Pavenham, several schools in Brickhill and the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Queens Park. There is £450,000 allocated for the Mayor's Climate Change Fund over three years, as we seek to make Bedford Borough a leader in protecting our local and wider environment and in supporting voluntary and community organisations to run community facilities by helping to cut their energy bills.

For more information about the Climate Change Fund, including details of how your voluntary or community organisation can apply, visit this page on the Council's website: http://www.bedford.gov.uk/environment_and_planning/sustainability/climate_change_fund.aspx