July 12, 2026

Welcome back to Cumbria CVS Green!

In our twenty-ninth blog post, Kate Grove, our Mid Copeland Development Officer, takes a deep dive into initiatives, activities and projects voluntary and community groups can get involved with to protect and improve the environment.

If you have any suggestions about what you’d like to see in our regular updates, let us know! Contact us by emailing info@cumbriacvs.org.uk

You can find our what we’re doing to minimise our environmental impact and find details of organisations supporting positive environmental action in Cumbria on our Climate Commitment page here

Catch up on our other blog posts here

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How to get involved in protecting and improving the environment

I was talking to a local Funder recently, who mentioned that they didn’t have as many funding applications for their Environment theme compared to their other funding themes.

So, I thought let’s change that and find out more about how I can support voluntary and community groups to protect and improve the environment.

 

What sort of initiatives, activities and projects can voluntary, and community groups get involved with to protect and improve the environment?

Every day, communities across Cumbria are taking action to protect and improve the environment. The VCFSE sector can lead or be part of a wide range of community led initiatives that make a real difference including:

Reducing Waste and Carbon Emissions

Renewable Energy Projects such as:

• Solar energy installation- solar panels on community buildings, schools, on available land in rural areas to provide clean, renewable energy, without harming the environment
• Community owned renewable energy projects:
  • Community owned energy allows people and communities to take democratic control over their energy future by generating, using, and owning renewable energy locally
  • Projects are typically led by residents of the area and often operate as social enterprises, cooperatives, or charitable organisations
  • Profits and benefits stay within the community rather than flowing to large energy corporations
  • Projects include solar farms, wind turbines, and energy efficiency initiatives
  • Find out more about what is going on across Cumbria: Community Energy Cumbria facilitate an increase in community ownership of renewable and low carbon projects across Cumbria

 

Water and Waste Management projects such as:

• Community Recycling Project- Initiatives to segregate and recycle waste, reducing landfill use and pollution
• Composting projects- Transforming food and garden waste into nutrient-rich compost for local growing initiatives
• Repair Cafes- Repair Cafés bring together a group of volunteers who have a range of skills to repair your belongings, and reduce waste in the community

 

Sustainable agriculture and food security projects such as:

• Community Food Gardens, Community allotments, orchards and shared gardens
• Shared spaces where communities grow fruits and vegetables sustainably
• Vertical Farming in Schools or Urban Areas- Growing food in stacked layers to save space and resources
• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)- This is a model which aims to bridge the gap between farmers and ‘customers’, building community, connection and relationship

 

Green Spaces and Nature Projects

• Creating a Community Woodland- thriving woodland for wildlife and community wellbeing
• Tree Planting projects- to help biodiversity and increase carbon dioxide absorption
• Creating public edible beds- using food as a catalyst for change
• Improving your local park- Investment in parks creates new natural habitats and encourages biodiversity. Parks give communities improved possibilities to connect with nature, and experience the wellbeing benefits from these connections
• Rewilding Projects- These can be small in scale projects such as in your garden, or in green community spaces. It’s as simple as:
  1. Let your grass grow longer in some areas
  2. Embrace Decay
  3. Give up Chemicals
  4. Leave a wild patch of weeds
  5. Choose plants with wildlife in mind
  6. Encourage native trees
  7. Look after the soil
  8. Allow access from your garden to a neighbours
  9. Notice the changes and spread the word in your community
• For more information on rewilding look at Rewilding Britain’s How to make your garden wilder

 

Some inspirational local examples of what voluntary and community groups in Cumbria are doing include:

Art Gene in Barrow, formed in 2002. They are involved in the development and delivery of a range of projects variously focussed on local history, architecture, homelessness, and the bi-odiversity crisis.

Kirkbie Green Community Group in Kendal have been ‘wilding’ the Greens over the last 5 years and have recently created a new Tree/Nature Trail which highlights the different species of trees; the hundreds of plants and bulbs; bird and bat boxes; hedgehog hides and bug hotels- tree trunks that provide natural habitats.

Cockermouth CAN is a community action group. Their projects are aimed at reducing carbon emissions, increasing biodiversity and improving the quality of life in the local community. Projects include Tree Planting, a Repair Café and Community meals and Food Workshops.

St Bees Green Future support their community in St Bees, Copeland with useful information sessions on Energy Saving, and run initiatives such as plant, seed and garden tool swaps and Hobby Item swaps.

There are many more examples. To search local groups and organisations in your area for inspiration, you can use the Cumbria Sustainability Network directory on the Zero Carbon Cumbria site

If you’re a voluntary or community group and feeling inspired, please do get in touch and we can point you in the right direction to get started to create initiatives to protect and improve the environment.

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Plastic Free July 2026

Wednesday 1st – Friday 31st July. Plastic Free July is a shared global movement that helps millions of people reduce plastic waste through simple, everyday choices and be part of the solution to plastic pollution.

It encourages refusal to use single-use plastics, so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and communities.

Find out more here

 

Free training course: Be equipped to support your clients with energy costs

Wednesday 15th July, online. With everything so uncertain and worrying again around energy prices, now is the time to get equipped to support your clients as best you can with whatever happens next.

The Community Energy Ambassadors project offers:

• • 3 x 1.5 hour CPD-certified training course – this covers energy prices, tariffs, advice to give to clients, understanding energy use, costs of appliances, the best ways to save energy in the home, smart meters, energy efficiency, and all of the schemes available to support households with their energy costs
  • A portal of resources, including information sheets, content for social media, advice checklists etc that you can use with clients and/or within local communities
  • Access to a monthly Energy Ambassadors newsletter which provides regular updates on all things related to energy and support schemes
  • Invitations to online update events 2-3 times per year

Cost? This is all completely free to anyone working or living in Yorkshire, the Northeast or Cumbria thanks to funding from Northern Gas Networks. The course is informal yet very informative!

Find upcoming dates and links to book on here

 

The Big Butterfly Count 2026

Friday 17th July – Sunday 9th August. The Big Butterfly Count is a nationwide citizen science survey aimed at helping us assess the health of our environment.

As vital parts of the ecosystem, tracking numbers of butterflies each year is crucial in the fight to conserve our natural world.

 

Environmental and sustainability policy workshop

Thursday 3rd September, online. This workshop will cover the importance of having an environmental and sustainability policy, how to write one, and how to implement effective action plans.

It’s designed to help organisations adopt environmentally sustainable practices and understand their impact on the environment.

Find out more and book your place here

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Rewilding Britain – Rewilding Innovation Fund

Amount available: up to £15,000

Deadline: Saturday 6th September

This fund aims to foster new and ambitious community rewilding projects, and to remove barriers to rewilding projects within Britain, whether they’re at the early planning stages or want to move a project one step wilder. Funding will be awarded to projects with potential for the highest impact for people and nature.

To apply for funding, projects must be:

• Based in Britain
• Part of the Rewilding Network (includes community, private and public landowners, and managers of rewilding areas on the land and at sea).
• Rewilding at scale (more than 40 hectares) according to Rewilding Britain’s rewilding principles. This can be an individual landholding or a cluster of landholdings. It is recommended that applicants who are rewilding on a smaller scale form a group or network to apply.

Local groups and networks can also apply for any innovative projects that will help to upscale rewilding.

Funding is for works that could potentially unlock further funding or move a project in scale.

Examples of potential applications include:

• Business plans and strategies.
• Community engagement activities or co-design.
• Feasibility studies.
• Technological innovations.

Find out more about Rewilding Britain – Rewilding Innovation Fund here

 

Everyone’s Environment: Voices

Could you use your voice to influence decisions about climate and nature?

Applications for Everyone’s Environment: Voices are open. It is a paid programme supporting people from communities often left out of environmental conversations to share their experiences publicly and influence decisions about climate and nature.

You don’t need to be an expert. Your lived experience matters. Through Voices, you’ll be supported to share your perspective, contribute to public debate, and help ensure decisions reflect real life.

They’re looking for 25 participants from communities often left out of environmental conversations to share their experiences, build confidence, and help shape change. You don’t need to be an expert. Your experience matters.

Find out more here

 

Woodland Trust – Free trees for schools and communities

Amount available: n/a

Deadline: August

Our free packs come in eight different species mixes of 15, 30, 105 or 420 saplings to accommodate every project and give everyone chance to plant a tree. Whether you’re growing an outdoor classroom, sheltering a sports pitch or transforming your neighbourhood, get involved and make a real difference for people and nature where you live, work or play.

Find out more about Woodland Trust – Free trees for schools and communities here

 

Grocers’ Charity Grant

Amount available: up to £5,000

Deadline: Saturday 15th August

One-off grants for UK registered charities

• Supporting the protection and survival of plants and animals by maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystems, and protecting biological diversity.
• Educating behavioural changes addressing environmental issues like littering and waste.
• Countering the effects of pollution and climate change (e.g. ideas and projects which tackle the issue of plastic waste and those to reduce carbon emissions).

Registered charities in the UK with a turnover below £500,000 (or medical charities with an income below £15 million) are eligible to apply.

Find out more about Grocers’ Charity Grant here

 

Cellnex Community Fund

Amount available: up to £5,000

Deadline: can be submitted at any time

Grants are available for charities, charitable incorporated organisations (CIOs), and other not-for-profit organisations across the UK to deliver projects and activities that help to strengthen communities, build digital confidence, improve the environment, and help people access skills for the future.

Funding is for projects and activities that fall within one or more of the following themes:

• Digital Inclusion and Skills – Helping people to get online, build digital skills, or use technology with confidence.
• Circular Economy – Reducing waste, encouraging repair and reuse, or supporting sustainable use of materials.
• Biodiversity and Conservation – Improving local nature, protecting wildlife habitats, or supporting community environmental action.
• AI and Education – Building awareness of artificial intelligence, responsible use of technology, and STEM learning.

Find out more about Cellnex Community Fund here

 

Wildlife Trusts – Green Community Grants Programme

Amount available: up to £25,000

Deadline: Wednesday 15th July

Grants are available for charities and community groups working on environmental and nature-based projects across England, Scotland and Wales.

Funding is aimed at projects that:

• support nature recovery
• tackle climate change
• improve access to green spaces
• or encourage sustainable community activities.

Eligible organisations must:

• be not-for-profit
• have an annual income between £10,000 and £1 million
• and have been operating for at least 12 months

Funding can support activities such as:

• community gardening
• habitat improvement
• recycling projects
• litter picking
• beach cleans
• outdoor education
• and sustainable transport initiatives.

Priority is given to:

• smaller organisations
• groups in disadvantaged communities
• and organisations supporting marginalised people.

Find out more about Wildlife Trusts – Green Community Grants Programme here

 

Tree Council – Branching Out Fund

Amount available: £250 to £2,500

Deadline: Sunday 19th July 2026 (midnight). Applications for less than £500 are likely to be processed more quickly.

Grants are available to assist schools and community groups in undertaking tree planting projects across the UK.

The funding is for tree and hedge planting projects taking place during the 2026/27 winter planting season.

Find out more about Tree Council – Branching Out Fund here

 

Network Rail Community Tree Planting Fund

Amount available: £2,500 to £10,000

Deadline: Sunday 19th July (midnight)

Grants are available for community groups, charities, community interest companies, schools, and other organisations to support tree-planting projects that are well-planned, sustainable, and will directly benefit people and communities.

Find out more about Network Rail Community Tree Planting Fund here