The fund was established following excellent work with young people in Angus as part of the National COP26 climate change champions programme. Available to local youth groups and organisations, bids for funding of up to £2,000 to support the delivery of youth-led climate change projects and programmes were invited.
Funding has been delivered in partnership with Angus Council Vibrant Communities, Youthlink Scotland and Scottish Government and bids assessed locally by young people on an assessment panel. They were impressed with the quality of the applications and how the projects involved young people through each stage from design to delivery.
Children & Learning Convener, Cllr Lynne Devine said: "It's wonderful to see the range of projects by young people right across Angus. The Climate and Nature Emergency is very real as we can see here with all the heavy rain, flooding, excessive winds and decreased numbers of animal and plant species.
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"Across the globe however it is much worse with some islands in the Pacific in imminent danger of disappearing completely and ways of life being eradicated. It's therefore good to see that the young people, while taking action locally, will also be finding out about the global situation."
Communities Convener, Cllr Mark McDonald added: "It's brilliant to see these projects successfully gain funding through the Angus Youth Climate Change Fund.
"There is a real diversity across all six of the projects and I cannot wait to see how they develop and, ultimately, what lessons we can all learn from their work."
The six Angus projects that were successful in gaining funding are:
• Forfar Academy- Engineering Design and Technology Department
To raise awareness of the effects of climate change by providing immersive experiences through virtual reality to places where climate change is more than visible, such as polar ice melting and forests fires.
• Rotary Club of Montrose and Montrose Academy
To show young people what can be done to boost biodiversity in a relatively small area and over time will allow them to see the impact their own contribution can make.
• Carnoustie High School Pupil Council
For pupils to consider how food waste impacts on climate change if it is not disposed of responsibly. The project will teach pupils about how to reduce their carbon footprint through reducing food miles and food waste.
• Montrose Community Trust
To instil a habit/culture of recycling and re-use among individuals and families by directing goods back into the community that would otherwise go to landfill and reduce the need for new ones to be produced.
• The Alba Explorers
To support young people to experience the challenges and pride of creating a climate-enhancing environment by creating a pond and developing the surrounding habitat.
• Brechin High School
For pupils to design, create and be involved in the entire process of producing recycled products.
