West Lothian Climate Action Network's £160,000 funding boost

The company that runs West Lothian Climate Action Network won funding from the Scottish Government to help grassroots groups in a wide variety of projects spanning food growing, energy efficiency measures, environmental training and conservation.

WLCAN Hub will continue to support local groups, including those who benefited from its earlier eco fund awards. With the new funding for 2024-25, the hub will consolidate its work with these groups and the rest of the network, whose members now stand at 53.

Seventeen community organisations were awarded grants after the hub launched in January. They included Linlithgow Community Development Trust, which bought small items to increase the energy efficiency of homes. Among the items were special shower heads, reflective radiator material, brushes for insulation under doors, draft excluder material and small kitchen electrical items.

The trust also bought a FLIR mobile thermal imaging device that it can use at events and add to its tool library, helping more householders to identify damp, draughts, leaks and cold or hot spots.

The total awarded to the 17 groups in the eco fund was £49,450 and other projects include paying for a shared garden and waterbutts collaboration, environmental training, starting vegetable gardens and planting trees.

The hub is planning events to support communities across West Lothian to develop greater awareness of climate change, including training in carbon literacy.

Neil Barnes, WLCAN’s senior development worker, said: “We are delighted to have secured the funding for our team to support our network and local climate action to benefit local people and our environment in many ways.

“The WLCAN Hub team is really looking forward to a packed year. We'll be working closely with local community groups, businesses, statutory bodies and local residents to help move our region forward on a more sustainable path – one that takes more time to think about and does far more for our future generations.”

To find out more or join, email [email protected].