How you can help north-east groups in bids for £1M for eco projects

By Kieran Beattie

December 15 2022, 5:00 pm

Volunteers from the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire branch of the Scottish Wildlife Trust in action. They are one of dozens of groups after cash from the Just Transition Fund. Image: Scottish Wildlife Trust.

Time is running out for the public to help eco-friendly projects across the north-east to get their hands on cash from a £1 million just transition funding pot

The Scottish Government has allocated £333,333 to be spent by communities on green projects in each council area of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray.

Dozens of groups and initiatives are seeking their share from the Just Transition Green Participatory Budgeting Fund pot, but it’s up to the residents of each of the three regions to decide where the cash goes by voting.

The aim of the funding is to support communities all across Scotland in helping the country reach its net zero targets, and to increase awareness of climate change and other important eco issues.

Residents can vote for 10 of their favourite projects to help them receive some of the money.

But the voting period closes tomorrow, at 5pm, December 16.

What are some of the projects across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray that are fighting for funding from the Just Transition Fund?

All manner of organisations and campaigns are seeking to secure cash from the funding pot.

From the Aberdeen Mosque’s £35,000 bid to reduce its carbon footprint, to the Ellon and District Men’s Shed’s ambitions for £5,000 to expand its refurbishment and recycling work, there are all sorts of causes after your vote.

Volunteers with the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire branch of the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Image: Scottish Wildlife Trust.

One of them is Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire branch of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, which is looking for £15,000 to buy equipment for a volunteer “conservation action team”.

This team works on a wide variety of climate change and biodiversity-related schemes across Aberdeenshire.

Roger Owen, chairman of the branch, said the funding would help them with a number of projects, such as their aims to establish a tree nursery.

Roger Owen, chairman of the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire branch of the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson.

They also want to help local schoolchildren learn about wildlife monitoring by purchasing equipment like trail cameras and bat detectors for them.

Another group after funding is the Friends of Westfield Park in the Bridge of Don.

The Friends of Westfield Park group work with the community to help them appreciate nature. Image: Friends of Westfield Park

The organisation wants £10,400 from the Just Transition Fund to buy a storage container to hold all of its tools and equipment, gazebos for community events, and new signage to help people identify and learn about all the wildlife and wildflowers of the park.

Friends of Westfield Park volunteers working on a project in the park. Image: Friends of Westfield Park

And in Moray, you can cast your vote for projects like the Moray Waste busters, who are bidding for £41,040 of funding to buy a new van to help them divert more rubbish from landfill.