(Received from Volunteering Matters today)

Volunteering Matters Action Earth was officially launched for 2017 at the Shettleston Community Growing Project in Glasgow on 20th April.  Young volunteers with the ‘Smelly Welly’ after-school club planted up a pond for frogs and amphibians with new plants while older volunteers repaired the raised growing beds with new tools. All of this was thanks to their Volunteering Matters Action Earth 2017 grant.

Our grants empower people in Scotland to take action and improve their local environment through volunteering activities.  If you are part of a group who are creating or improving community gardens or wildflower areas, ponds, woodlands or local green spaces, then we want to hear from you.  We can support you with easy-to access grants of between £50 to £500.

This year half of our awards will go to projects in the 20% most deprived areas of Scotland.  We will also consider applications that make major environmental impact or involve mass participation.

We will prioritise applications from volunteer groups who do any of the following:

• Work to improve areas where there is substantial social or economic deprivation
• Improve and develop the health and wellbeing of their local community
• Involve disabled people, vulnerable people or those at risk of exclusion
• Encourage and involve people under 26 in practical outdoor conservation

In 2016, over 8,100 volunteers participated in 173 Volunteering Matters Action Earth projects across Scotland, planting 13,360 trees, creating 557 new wildlife homes and working on land measuring almost 2 million square metres.

Local Nature Reserve (LNR) grants of up to £500 are also available for volunteer activities taking place on any LNR sites  – such as protecting and enhancing biodiversity or wildlife recording.

Volunteering Matters Action Earth is supported by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)

To apply go to https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/project/action-earth and if you need any inspiration have a look at our Ideas and Links page.

Please note, all projects must complete by end of November, 2017.
To discuss any project ideas contact Robert Henderson on 0131 622 7766 or e: robert.henderson@volunteeringmatters.org.uk