The grant will be used to fund a Support Worker for 1 day per week, for 26 weeks to enable Carers of Dundee’s vision and action of what climate change means to them. This proposal will engage with unpaid Carers across Dundee and deliver a project that supports Carers and their families, friends & local community to take part in climate change action. The project will run from 1st May – 31st Oct 2025.

There will be a series of events, outings & workshops with local community organisations, using local green and blue spaces. The project will be delivered in 3 stages:

1. 3 clean-up events over different terrains and environments - Beach, Woodland & River.
2. Art creation - Reduce, Recycle, Reuse –using the waste products to create an art piece.
3. Celebration event - to showcase the full project. Increasing public awareness, engage the wider community.

The workshops will focus on use of renewables, encouraging active travel, reusing resources and thus reducing waste. The outings we propose will ensure the Carers benefit from green space in the city and encourage them to grow in their own home environment which will work towards building increased awareness in the climate change agenda.

In addition to the climate benefits, this 6 month project will alleviate isolation, increase social connectivity within Carers own locality as well as City wide and enhance health & wellbeing which is a detrimental factor for all Carers.

The basis of this project has come directly from Carers who were given the opportunity to explore this topic during research conducted by Dr Kate Miller. Carers felt they were currently not well involved with Climate change largely due to barriers in existing opportunities to get involved. Carers said they would like to take part in something that would benefit the wider community as well as improve their personal health and wellbeing.

Abertay University Students' Association has been operating Abertaysty since 2019, and in the last academic year we provided 1705.6kgs of food to 1023 users (1.6kg per user on average) .  We currently only offer ambient food, as we do not have space for refrigeration.  However, we are moving to a custom designed space in December of this year and will then be able to widen our offering to students.  We work with Fareshare as our supplier, ensurng that we employ the principles of circular economy.  We would like to use monies from the fund to increase the amount we have available to widen our provision to chilled and frozen foods, to both help the students, and to collaborate on the prevention of food wste. Moving forward we would like to expand the larder to include a not-for-profit refill station, both to widen the offering, but also to encourage students to engage in more sustainble shopping practices.  To this end we would request funding to purchase the equipment needed, and the first purchase of goods to stock the station.

We also use Abertaysty to highlight other sustainable initiatives being promoted by the Association, the university and the wider community, and to provide access to information and guidance on how to live more sustainably.

Kanzen is a registered charitys committed to not only building better lives but also to making a positive impact on the environment. With our new initiative to introduce an electric vehicle, we aim to significantly reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to a greener, more sustainable future. This will help us cut harmful emissions, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and set a strong example for other organisations in the community. It will also support us to remove barriers by providing accesible transport to those who need it. 

As well as reducing our carbon emmissions, an electric vehicle would also help us save money which we can then repurpose back into our charitable activities. 

Kanzen is an award winning charity and we are the current Dundee Social Enterprise of the Year, Dundee Sports Club of the Year and winners of The Courier Business Awards for Community Impact. 

We organised the first carbon neutral martial arts event in Europe and are proud to be an organisation rooted in the community. 

The Dundee and Angus college project, EcoEats, aims to tackle food waste by delivering engaging and educational cookery classes that utilise ingredients commonly found at food banks and community fridges. By transforming surplus food into delicious and nutritious meals, we will not only reduce food waste but also empower participants with valuable cooking skills and knowledge, as well as utilising local ingredients.

Our primary objective is to rescue food that would otherwise go to waste. By sourcing ingredients from local food banks, community fridges, and community growing groups we will ensure that surplus food is put to good use. Our target audience will be those using food banks, D&A college learners and their families, Dundee residents and hospitality business owners.

We will offer hands-on cookery classes where participants learn to create a variety of meals using rescued ingredients. These classes will be accessible to all, fostering a sense of community and inclusivity.

Alongside the classes, we will develop and distribute recipe cards that highlight creative ways to use common surplus ingredients. These cards will serve as a lasting resource for participants, encouraging them to continue reducing food waste at home.

By rescuing and utilising surplus food, our project will significantly reduce the amount of food waste that ends up in landfills. This not only conserves resources but also reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with food decomposition.

Utilising food that would otherwise be discarded helps conserve the resources used in food production, such as water, energy, and land. This contributes to a more sustainable food system.

Our project will also raise awareness about the environmental impact of food waste and promote sustainable practices within the community. Participants will learn the importance of reducing food waste and how they can make a positive impact on the environment through their daily choices.

By minimising food waste, we reduce the carbon footprint associated with food production, transportation, and disposal. This contributes to mitigating climate change and promoting environmental sustainability.

Through this project, we aim to create a ripple effect of positive change, inspiring individuals and communities to adopt more sustainable practices and make the most of the food resources available to them. Together, we can make a significant impact on reducing food waste and protecting our environment. The EcoEats project will contribute the Dundee Climate Fund priorities of waste, resilience and community engagement.

GROW DUNDEE (Dundee Network of Community Growers) and the BIG GROW projects want to continue to make food growing (and cooking!) more accessible to everyone in Dundee, multiplying the opportunities for people in every neighbourhood. 

See our network and events on growdundee.blog and more info about the Maxwell Centre work and the Big Grow on maxdundee.org.uk

We are asking for funding to cover one annual salary so our team can continue to support learning and sharing opportunities across these 2 new and very successful community initiatives to address local climate justice through growing and cooking food, supporting biodiversity and climate-friendly gardens and green spaces across our city.

Each of the 30+ community food growing space in our city as well as 100+ family, community or school growing spaces will benefit from all the garden and wildlife resources, partnerships, training, events, joined fundraising and more. The project officer will organise or deliver:

• Community growers networking gatherings every two months at different community gardens across the city
• A programme of workshops and events to learn and make our work more visible for more engagement at each neighbourhood – keep community growers updated with good practice and opportunities for sustainable gardening and support to keep their community groups running.
• Updates of the GROW DUNDEE website so Dundonians know where all community gardens are, how to join to volunteer or for activities as well as tips and advice on sustainable suppliers etc. a live chat, phone and in person advice.
• Facilitation of partnership projects with over 15 environmental and community partners to enable access of community gardens to resources, support and funding (for example free fruit tree or bushes, help with composting, building ponds, etc.)
• Expansion of the network to include schools that are growing food
• Establishment of biodiversity hubs in neighbourhoods through community growing spaces and regular Bio blitzes

DUNDEE THE BIG GROW would also be supported by our staff for the next growing season, signing up 100 families, community groups or schools. Some new to growing, some having started recently to learn, grow, cook and share in their community. They will benefit from a community learning programme that includes training in growing, cooking and biodiversity through workshops, newsletters, videos, events, tool borrowing, free seeds and seedlings as well as one-to-one tailored advice for their growing space. 

We are applying to the Dundee Climate Fund 3.0 to upgrade the lighting on our indoor football pitches to new, energy-efficient wide beam LED lights. The current lighting system is outdated and highly inefficient, contributing significantly to our rising utility costs, which have quadrupled compared to last year. By transitioning to LED lights, we aim to reduce our energy consumption, lower carbon emissions, and make our facility more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.  Our pitches are available seven days a week for use by community groups, other Dundee charities, para-sports clubs, private organisations, and local schools. One of these schools actually uses our facility as their P.E department as their own in-house facilities are not fit for purpose. We maintain the pitches to the highest standards while keeping hire costs affordable to ensure accessibility for all.

This project aligns with the Dundee Climate Fund’s focus on energy efficiency and sustainability. It directly addresses the Energy category by reducing electricity consumption and improving energy efficiency in a community facility. The upgrade will make our facility more sustainable, while the energy savings will allow us to allocate more resources to our core mission—supporting the local community.

Showcase the Street is a registered charity located in one of the most deprived areas of Scotland. Our facility offers sports, technology, employability training, fashion design, and dance programs accessible to over 3,000 people weekly. We focus on reducing barriers to participation, especially for families experiencing poverty, and ensure that everyone in our community has access to these opportunities, regardless of their financial situation.

The LED lighting upgrade will have a direct positive impact on the running costs of the facility, ensuring we can continue to provide affordable, inclusive programming. It will also serve as a public example of the benefits of energy-efficient upgrades, potentially inspiring other local residents and organisations to adopt similar practices.

How daunting and frustrating it must feel to be a young person now - as climate change gathers pace - more uncertain than previous generations about what the future holds. Furthermore, many feel failed by governments and older generations, and powerless to influence the direction of travel. Although schools are tasked with preparing children for the future and providing the skills and knowledge for the climate transition, teachers often feel similarly ill-equipped to fulfil this role.

So, how can this stalemate situation be overcome? Is there a way that young people can be given agency over their future careers and livelihoods? These are the questions that led researchers at The James Hutton Institute, in collaboration with teachers in secondary schools and career-advisors at Skills Development Scotland, to develop a novel multi-actor, multi-generational model to engage young people in the discussion and co-design of pathways for climate transition.

The Dundee Climate Fund 3.0 would allow us to develop and run a ‘COP’ style event bringing young people in Dundee together with potential future employers in the co-design of pathways for climate transition. The workshops will empower young people to work with scientists and industry experts to discuss collective actions, skills, careers and individual behavioural changes underpinning this transformation.

We propose a one-day event involving between 5 and 10 students (S5/S6 – age:15 - 18) from each Dundee secondary school, in the novel workshop model previously piloted in a successful event in Perth.  Selected academic and industry speakers will present challenges and visions for the climate transition in major socio-economic sectors (chosen in collaboration with local educators) and open a collective discussion with the young people. After initial presentations, young people will be divided in discussion teams where they will perform a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) and STEEP (Social, Technology, Environmental, Economic and Political drivers of change) analysis of climate transition in each of the different socio-economic sectors, with the support of academic and industry experts. Following this analysis, young people will design a route map and recommendations to reach the desired future.

Young people, supported by academics and potential future employers, will learn about the climate transition and gain confidence in their own potential contributions and agency. This will create socio-ecological benefits for Dundee communities and environment by empowering the next generation of adults to make meaningful changes in our future society. After the workshop, students will receive a certificate of attendance from The James Hutton Institute, and their recommendations will be disseminated to target audiences in education, policy, business, and research through the project team’s communication pathways.

[the word cloud summarises the young people’s recommendations for policy during the pilot workshop in Perth]

Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) will deliver a year-long programme of environmental projects and activities at Growing Chrysalis, the community garden in the heart of Dawson Park. Our goal is to give individuals and families from across the region the chance to step outside and reconnect with nature.

Our programme will blend environmental awareness with therapeutic gardening to create a space where people can thrive alongside nature. Families will learn how climate change impacts our greenspaces and local wildlife, gain practical skills to help create a more sustainable future, and improve their wellbeing from being outdoors surrounded by nature.

All our activities will be dynamic and inclusive, tailored to meet the diverse needs of everyone who joins. These will include:

• Green Minds Sessions: Weekly garden-based activities focused on gardening, wildlife, and creativity. Each session ends with time to connect socially, building stronger bonds within the community.
• Local Produce Festivals: Celebrate Tayside’s rich agricultural heritage with events highlighting local produce—potatoes, soft fruits, and berries.
• Recycle Fun Days: Family-friendly events promoting sustainability through fun, hands-on activities using recycled materials.
• Grow Your Own Food Workshops: Practical sessions on sourcing and growing local, seasonal food—from foraging to creating your own food forest.
• Saving Local Wildlife: Learn about the impact of climate change on local wildlife and how to protect our precious wildlife with sessions on growing wildflowers for pollinators, building bat boxes, and creating wormery composts.
• Reducing Food Waste: Sustainable cooking sessions using homegrown produce, held in our outdoor kitchen to strengthen healthy eating and social connections.

Campy Growers is the largest community growing space in Dundee. With passionate volunteers we grow and distribute hundreds of kilos of ethically grown food to various project across the city. We run workshops about gardening, biodiversity, cooking, harvest and wider events open to all, to raise awareness about climate change and food growing.  

What's missing is a location to run all our projects and activities: a living roof green gazebo. A place to gather, to share ideas and knowledge, to enjoy the sun whilst protected from the Scottish weather. A place with a positive climate impact. A place that will make the difference. 

Picture a L-shaped wooden gazebo, south facing and made from larch sourced from a local sawmill. Can you see it? It will have a guttering system to collect water so we can wash the produce and water our plants. But most of off all, it will have a sedum (green) roof which will capture CO2 emissions and support wildlife, improve air purification, increase biodiversity, and more.   

It will become a social space for the Collective and a central point for learning:  

•  We will run more workshops and events in relation to gardening, cooking, biodiversity and resilience. Although we ran several workshops last year, we were quite limited in terms of space, so we want to expand and make people feel welcome! Here is a wee taster of what we are planning for 2025: start your garden, botany, Harvest session, mushroom growing, cooking with seasonal veg, fermentation, learn about moths and bat, movie screening, open days and more.   
• Start a Climate Café style conversation: Every month we will run climate café style conversation giving the opportunity to everybody to share their thoughts about climate change. Campy Growers is an example of a proactive project which counter-act climate change. Being surrounded by food and green space changes the dynamic and impact of such conversations can have.    
• We will offer a space for our volunteers and visitors:  With our volunteers and visitors we talk about gardening for sure, but we also create connections, share aspirations and ideas. A dedicated area to relax, think, gather and enjoy homemade food together is the key of our Collective   
• We will use it as a packhouse for our weekly veg stalls and distribution, an open space visible to all visitors who want to get some vegetables or learn about community market gardening techniques. It is a self-sufficient space with its guttering system too. 

We need your vote to create to social space which will support the biodiversity and will allow us to run more events and workshop creating resilience and awareness about climate change and food growing.