Local partnerships are leading the way in tackling climate change and restoring nature through community-powered action across Westmorland and Furness.
At a recent workshop in Kendal, Westmorland and Furness Council brought together 15 local partnerships for a special Climate and Nature Partnership event, celebrating the community-driven projects tackling climate change and supporting nature recovery across the area.
The event marked the progress of the 24 partnerships awarded a share of £900,000 through the Council’s Climate and Nature Partnership Fund which supports collaborative efforts to reduce emissions, restore nature and ensure a fair transition to a low carbon future for communities.
Hosted by the Council, the workshop provided an opportunity for groups to share their work, learn from one another, and explore how place-based climate and nature action can have lasting positive impacts across Westmorland and Furness.
Projects funded through the scheme range from peatland restoration and invasive species management to the creation of community wildlife gardens and low carbon travel plans.
Councillor Giles Archibald, Westmorland and Furness Council Cabinet Member for Climate, Biodiversity and Environmental Services, said:
“We are incredibly proud of the breadth and ambition of the partnerships supported by this fund. It’s inspiring to see so many passionate groups coming together to drive real change, not just for nature and the climate, but for the health, wellbeing and resilience of our communities. This workshop was a powerful reminder that local action rooted in collaboration and shared purpose can lead the way to a more sustainable future.”
The partnerships supported by the fund include:
- Arnside & Silverdale AONB
- Branching Out in Barrow – Raise (Community Forest Trust)
- Community Collective – Lakeland Arts
- Coniston Environment Partnership – Coniston Parish Council
- Cumbria Local Visitor Economy Partnership – Cumbria Tourism
- Cumbria Peat Partnership – Cumbria Wildlife Trust
- Cumbria Peatland Restoration Research Partnership – University of Cumbria
- Eden Catchment Partnership – Eden Rivers Trust
- Flourishing Ulverston – Mycelium Thinking
- Ford Park Community Group – People Planet Pocket CIC
- Grange to Arnside Trail – Morecambe Bay Partnership
- Land and Nature Skills Service Partnership
- Love Windermere – Freshwater Biological Association
- Love Windermere Partnership – Lake District Foundation
- Lynster Farmers Group
- Ormsgill Community Garden – BarrowFull
- Nutrient Neutrality Project Board- LDNP Authority
- People and Nature Network
- PLACE – CDEC
- Sustainability and Energy Network in Staveley
- The Life of the Park – Full of Noises
- Wild Walney – Art Gene
- Windermere Science Festivals CIC
- Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership
For more information about the fund and the supported partnerships, visit: https://www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/your-environment/climate-change-and-natural-environment.