Yorkshire Village Green initiative hopes to help more people be climate conscious

Leaders of Community First Yorkshire’s (CFY) Village Green initiative said they hoped it would spark an abundance of grassroots activity.

The goal is to help create resilient communities across North Yorkshire to take climate action, reduce energy usage, and promote environmental stewardship.

Victoria Russell, project manager at CFY, said: “Like so many people, I want to do my bit. I’d love to get the bus to work – but there’s no public transport from my village.

"I want to heat my home in a greener way – but figuring out green tech can feel like decoding a foreign language, not to mention the cost.”

The initiative follows leaders of North Yorkshire Council underlining while it is committed to cutting carbon emissions, there are limits to what the council can achieve on its own.

The authority’s climate strategy was amended in 2023 to include actions that are not core council activities, including a focus on what the council can do to support cut agricultural emissions.

The strategy also includes supporting community action, particularly community energy development, which it is felt has “huge potential for both climate change and cost of living responses”.

As part of the Village Green initiative, over the next three years, CFY will be working with strategic community-based partners across England’s largest county to inspire, empower and connect people to take meaningful steps to help cut carbon emissions.

This could involve anything from helping a village hall to installing energy efficient technology to encouraging a group to plant a community garden or woodland.

Jane Colthup, chief executive at CFY, said: “Just think of the impact hundreds of hands-on, community-led activities can have, focused on sustainable living, energy saving, and reducing carbon footprints – and think of that happening in your local patch.

"Many people want to take climate action, but they remain silent – feeling they’re in the minority. This is your chance to make an environmental difference and spark real climate action change in your community.”

Partners in the project include the Howardian Hills National Landscape, North Yorkshire Sport, North Yorkshire Together, North Yorkshire Youth, Rural Arts, Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and Yorkshire Energy Doctor.

The funding will see CFY working with community-based partners to share funding for climate action projects, as well as providing advice and guidance on how groups can get their environmental improvement ideas off the ground.

The partnership builds on a history of collaboration supporting communities across North Yorkshire, combined with a desire to enable communities to take climate action.

A Community First Yorkshire spokesman said: “We believe climate action should feel relevant and achievable.

"That’s why Village Green will deliver community-based activities that weave climate conversations into everyday interests – like arts, sports, and youth engagement – making climate action accessible, engaging, and part of daily life.

"From fun drop-in sessions to full-day community events, these activities will help over 8,000 individuals to build sustainable habits, reduce energy use and lower their carbon footprints.

“It will also support the voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises sector helping organisations to enhance their environmental sustainability, by creating resources and toolkits, sharing best practices, amplifying the climate action voice of the sector, connecting the sector to strategic initiatives being undertaken by partners and policy-makers, reducing organisation emissions and aligning with sustainability funding requirements.”

By the end of the programme, CFY is aiming for lasting change that includes stronger collaboration across communities and statutory organisations and more climate-conscious communities and organisations as well as broader and more diverse participation in climate action.

It is hoped the scheme will also lead to greater energy awareness and efficiency, greener community buildings, restored and thriving natural spaces and more sustainable travel choices.

Orgainsers said Village Green would also set to out inspire more young people to lead the way in climate advocacy and green skills.