Today we’ve announced the first recipients of our Greener Futures Fund with the London Community Foundation, part of a four-year £1 million+ community investment programme focused on communities and the climate emergency. 

The programme aims to improve lives in the places Grosvenor’s UK property business is active in by supporting training and jobs in the green economy, enabling community-led climate action and improving young people’s access to nature. Together with our partners, we will offer funding and time to help communities benefit from a greener economy and make sure no one gets left behind.

Grosvenor’s inaugural Greener Futures Fund received over 50 applications from charitable and community organisations based in Westminster and Southwark, with nine selected to receive funding of up to £30,000 per year for their environmental projects, totalling more than £230,000 over the next two years.  Applications were assessed with the help of a panel of external judges, including Westminster City Council, the Young Westminster Foundation, Victoria Business Improvement District and Groundwork.

Benefitting an estimated 23,000 people, the projects being supported are:

• Bankside Open Spaces Trust - to help fund the employment of a Green Hub Manager to support the ongoing development of green sites in Bermondsey.
• Bede House Association - to help redesign a nature garden to be used for environmental education by people with learning disabilities.
• Climate Ed – to deliver educational workshops on climate change in 90 primary schools in Westminster and north Southwark.
• Green Schools Project – to support two schools in Bermondsey become zero carbon through weekly sessions for pupils and teachers with training and events.
• Salmon Youth Centre - to deliver a youth leadership programme with 10 young people from ethnic minority backgrounds who will lead a youth social action project to engage 900 young people on climate issues.
• The Mayfair Neighbourhood forum - to help deliver greening and improve biodiversity in Mayfair as part of the locally led Mayfair Green Route. 
• Root 'n' Branch – a two year programme of activities and events in South Westminster engaging residents, schools and businesses, encouraging behaviour change on climate change.
• The South West Community Festival – to help run the Breath of Fresh Air festival running across South Westminster reaching 15,000 people.
• St Paul's Knightsbridge Parochial Church Council - to conduct a feasibility study into a range of energy and carbon conservation measures for their church in Belgravia.

Co-founder of Climate Ed and Greener Futures grant recipient, Ben Cuddon, said “Climate Ed is thrilled to receive support from Grosvenor’s Greener Futures Fund. Our carbon literacy programme has been hugely enjoyed by children across south London and we are very excited to have the chance to expand our services to new areas and work with new schools and students.”

CEO of The Young Westminster Foundation and Greener Futures judge, Phil Barron, said “It was fascinating to be part of the process in selecting projects as part of the Greener Futures Fund. I’m happy to see projects engaging young people and communities in Westminster facilitating change for a cleaner brighter future.”

Kate Nottidge, Social Impact Director, Grosvenor Property UK, said: “An effective, locally based climate response can benefit communities as well as the environment, making a difference to people’s health, creating jobs and improving the places where we all live.

“We’d like to thank the organisations who shared proposals and congratulate the successful applicants. From social action projects to climate festivals & zero carbon plans, we were inspired by the diversity of ideas and are looking forward to following their progress.”