Veolia, the UK’s leading resource management company, is launching this year’s Sustainability Fund in partnership with Southend City Council on the International Day for Biological Diversity (22 May 2024) to help support people across Southend-on-Sea to improve biodiversity in their local environments and communities with grants of up to £1,000.
2023 was an incredibly successful year for the Sustainability Fund, with 10 grassroots projects given £4,900 funding in Southend. This year, Veolia will continue to fund great local initiatives that protect and reserve resources but is particularly interested in projects that make a positive, long term difference to biodiversity.
Sustainability Fund applications will open on 22 May on the International Day for Biological Diversity, encouraging people to “Be part of the plan” in halting and reversing the loss of biodiversity. Veolia aims to empower people to take positive action in their local area.
In previous years, successful projects have delivered long-term social and environmental benefits to local Southend communities, including:
Greening Southend, is an offshoot from the Growing Together therapeutic gardening project, run by the charity Trust Links. The charity organises volunteer days whereby they go out to neglected public realm green spaces and empower the local community to take ownership and improve the space.
Wellbeing at Garon Park, as part of their overall environmental and conservation project, they are creating a well-being garden, an area of their Vitality park for local people to come and take some time out or to participate in their gardening and horticulture activities. The garden is designed to reduce feelings of anxiety and stress and improve their overall sense of well-being.
Mendip Community Garden, was until last year a derelict waste ground that is being transformed into a sustainable community garden with planting areas, a wildlife garden and a picnic area.
Veolia’s Sustainability Fund is open to not-for-profit organisations, community groups, or individuals in areas where the company delivers waste and street cleansing services for the community. Up to £1,000 in funding is available per project and applicants can opt to request in-kind resources or volunteers to help them deliver ecological transformation.
Applications can be made via Veolia’s website at veolia.co.uk/Sustainability-Fund or via Spacehive, Veolia’s crowdfunding partner, at spacehive.com/movement/veoliauk. The fund will be open for applications until Monday 30 September.
All applications will be considered, but projects should aim to fulfil at least one of the following criteria: enhancing biodiversity; promoting sustainable behaviours (reduce, reuse, recycle); protecting or preserving resources and the environment by using recycled, reused, or reclaimed materials.
Pascal Hauret, Managing Director, Municipal at Veolia, said : “I am always thrilled to see projects we support through the Sustainability Fund coming to life, and look forward to reviewing all the creative and inspiring applications for this year. Biodiversity is one of the pillars of ecological transformation and we’re proud to be supporting the communities we work in every day to make their local areas even greener.”
Elias Watson, Greening Southend, said: “Veolia’s Sustainability Fund enabled us to run a series of brilliant community tree planting workshops. We managed to get hundreds of trees in the ground in local Southend green spaces, and by empowering the local community to take part in this action, hopefully these new plantations will be lovingly cared for by the community for years to come!”
Councillor Lydia Hyde, Cabinet member for Environment at Southend City Council, said: “I'm excited to support the launch of this year's Sustainability Fund, which will empower our community to take meaningful action towards enhancing biodiversity in Southend. Not only will these schemes help protect our environment for future generations, it will also give residents opportunities to get out and enjoy nature that is literally on their doorsteps. I encourage everyone to get involved and contribute their ideas.”