Charity Spotlight: £500,000 boost for grassroots climate action

Dundee Changemakers Hub
£500,000 has been awarded to five Community Climate Action Hubs in Scotland’s Central Belt.
Funding will support the ongoing work of the Forth Valley, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and East Dunbartonshire climate hubs to enable local communities to tackle climate change and its impacts.
In Scotland, there are 24 Climate Action Hubs that enable community-led climate action initiatives. These hubs, supported by the Scottish Government, aim to empower local communities to address climate change at a local level, offering practical, tailored support, funding opportunities, and access to expertise. By building climate literacy, social confidence and the life skills to grow, cook, repair and share, they create more capable communities with bigger sustainability goals.
The Scottish Government has already allocated £5.5 million across 2024-2025 to support this network of regional community climate action hubs. Foundation Scotland’s funding will further enable a shift from short-term project cycles to building longer-term resilience in central Scotland. It will support hubs to distribute more grants to grassroots groups, so that communities gain the tools, knowledge, and financial support needed to drive meaningful climate action from the ground up.
Awards made:
• Edinburgh: £110,000 to Edinburgh Communities Climate Action Network (ECCAN)
• Glasgow: £110,000 to the Glasgow Climate Action Hub partnership
• Forth Valley: £80,000 to Forth Environment Link (FEL Scotland)
• East Dunbartonshire: £50,000 to Twechar Community Action, for an outreach officer employed until March 2027
• Dundee: £55,000 to Dundee Changemakers Hub
Foundation Scotland is also providing £95,000 to support the development of a multi-hub climate adaptation initiative to work in more traditionally disadvantaged communities.

Dundee Changemakers Hub
FEL Scotland will act as a lead partner, coordinating spend and learning and sharing this across the national network. This includes working with other Climate Hubs to support the development of a climate adaptation initiative to work in more traditionally disadvantaged communities. £95,000 has been allocated for this work.
Rachel Searle, head of communities and impact at Foundation Scotland, said: “We know that in face of the continuing climate emergency we all need to take action to increase resilience and adapt to the impacts of climate change. That’s why Growing Climate Action and Sustainable Natural Environments is one of Foundation Scotland’s impact themes. Providing this funding to five of central Scotland’s climate hubs will enhance their ability to respond to increasing demand and interest from communities to take action to tackle climate change locally. We’re looking forward to hearing how this funding helps with that.”
Clara Walker, executive director at FEL Scotland, said: “We are grateful to Foundation Scotland for this investment, which complements existing Scottish Government funding and supports a crucial step forward for a number of Climate Action Hubs in central Scotland. Importantly, this funding enables us to explore and share learning across the wider network of 24 hubs, helping us understand how community funding can be scaled to create the most positive impact - particularly for the communities that need it most.”
Climate action secretary Gillian Martin said: “Established by the Scottish Government, Scotland’s Climate Hubs play an influential role in their local communities, and provide valuable support and inspiration for people looking to take climate action. This funding from Foundation Scotland will support grassroot activity through five of our hubs – making a huge difference to people who want to make a positive change in their communities. It is a fantastic endorsement of the work carried out by Climate Hubs across the country and their ability to support and drive local change.”
The Scottish Housing News Charity Spotlight feature highlights the vital work of charities across Scotland each Friday. To include your local charity, whether housing-related or not, send your story and images to us at newsdesk@scottishnews.com.