Groups can apply for National Lottery funding for projects to support place based and UK-wide partnerships that use nature to encourage more community-led climate action and help communities tackle climate change.

The National Lottery Community Fund expects most projects to be funded between £300,000 and £500,000, but development grants of £50,000 to £150,000 over 12 to 18 months are also available for those communities wanting to develop initial ideas.

Successful projects must demonstrate that they can do at least one of the following:

• show how creating a deeper connection with nature will lead to changing people’s behaviours and greater care for the environment
• show how by bringing nature back into the places we live and work, we can help communities to reduce or adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Projects also need to show how they can achieve longer-term, larger change that goes beyond the communities they're directly working with.

A recent National Lottery Community Fund blog gives some examples of projects they’re likely to fund.

Between 12 and 15 projects will be successful, with applications accepted from either:

• local partnerships
• UK-wide partnerships which are delivered across at least two UK countries (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales).

Research from The National Lottery Community Fund shows that over half of people (54%) in the UK are worried about the impact of climate on their local community. Successful applicants will join the 48 projects currently part of the Climate Action Fund; a ten-year £100 million fund that is supporting people and communities to reduce their carbon footprint and get to net zero, whilst helping people and communities to prosper and thrive.

Find out more on the National Lottery Community Fund website: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/climate-action-fund-programme