SCA to receive Lottery Grant on behalf of the Climate Movement in the SCR

Sheffield Climate Alliance (SCA) is pleased to receive development funding from The National Lottery on behalf of the growing climate movement in Sheffield City Region (SCR).

SCA started life in 2011 when Sheffield Campaign Against Climate Change – a community group founded to improve understanding of climate change and take action to adapt systems, build resilience and support a just transition to a low carbon economy – reached out to form an alliance with other local organisations working in the fields of climate change, environmental sustainability and social justice. 35 diverse organisations from many key sectors came together to form this bid to the National Lottery Climate Action Fund. Many more gave support to the joint aims of reaching every person in the SCR with a clear message of the urgency of the need for climate action, information on what actions individuals can take, and opportunities to act.

SCA has now registered to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and is looking to use this development funding of just under £200,000 to support and help unite the growing climate action movement in the SCR.

SCA is hoping to work with others to create a broad platform for conversations across many key sectors which could benefit from greater climate understanding, awareness and action. Our aim is to test new approaches to talking about the climate crisis, what individuals can do to change their habits, but also – critically – how we can make sure decision makers in our region see the importance of changing how we work and live for common environmental and social benefit – from cleaner air and fresher food to sustainable business, a more responsible media and a fairer society.

Sam Walby, Trustee at SCA, 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.

“We encourage anyone – from passionate individuals and the smallest community groups to the city’s largest institutions – to join together on this shared journey.”