Fourteen community groups will receive a share of £250,000 towards waste prevention activity as part of North London Waste Authority’s (NLWA) flagship initiative, the revamped North London Community Fund.
The successful recipients, from the seven north London boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, and Waltham Forest, have been allocated small awards of up to £5,000 and medium awards of up to £15,000 each. The projects encompass a range of waste reduction strategies including repair, upcycling and textiles, sustainability, food waste, and recycling and reuse education. Examples of projects include a resident-led household and gardening tool lending library, supporting the establishment of a repair club which builds on the legacy of one of last year’s funded projects, and a youth education programme focused on waste prevention and environmental protection.
For the first time, NLWA has split the fund into two stages. The first stage, now complete, will distribute £150,000 among the 14 community groups. The second stage is set to follow shortly, with two additional organisations to be awarded a share of the remaining £100,000 for projects spanning over two years.
As part of its ongoing commitment to waste prevention and the preservation of resources for future generations, NLWA established its flagship waste prevention initiative to enhance the efforts of local groups addressing waste-related challenges at the grassroots level. Since the fund launched in 2017, it has enabled 59 projects to reach thousands of residents across north London and beyond.
The North London Community Fund supports not-for-profit community organisations by providing financial assistance and enables them to enact lasting change on the ground, fostering resource efficiency, reducing waste, and mitigating climate impacts
Chair of NLWA, Cllr Clyde Loakes, said:
“We’ve been really impressed with the outcomes of projects this year, which have delivered fantastic community benefits too. For example, the groups we’ve supported this year have set up nine composting hubs and repaired and reused hundreds of electronic devices. One project even gave two residents the skills to move into employment. We’ve also built connections between organisations to allow activities to continue beyond our funding and provide fantastic legacy outcomes.
"Our members unanimously agreed to safeguard the funding for this pivotal initiative, affirming our belief in the power of grassroots efforts and acknowledging the vital role these initiatives play in creating a sustainable and resilient community.
“Working collaboratively with these fantastic projects also enables us to gain a deeper understanding of the waste challenges in our seven boroughs and beyond. I’m looking forward to seeing the positive outcomes of the latest round of initiatives and welcome their significant contribution in supporting the circular economy and creating a more environmentally conscious north London.”
Here is the complete list of fund recipients for the first round and the boroughs where our activity is due to take place:
- Abbey Community Centre: Community craft workshops using waste items - Camden
- Age UK Enfield: Waste wood workshops to upskill local residents - Enfield
- Arachne Greek Cypriot Women's Group: Sustainable textiles course focused on upcycling clothing and sustainable fashion - Islington
- Bread n Butter CIC: Community cookery workshops focused on food waste prevention – Barnet, Enfield and Haringey
- Clapton Common Boys Club: Youth education programme focused on waste prevention and environmental protection – Hackney and Haringey
- Community Focus Inclusive Arts: Providing tools for upcycling second-hand clothing - Barnet
- Forest Recycling Project Ltd: Resident lead household and gardening tool lending library – Waltham Forest
- Kilburn Repair Club: Supporting the establishment of a repair club - Camden
- Lifeafterhummus: Development of community kitchen and food waste prevention workshops - Camden
- London CC CIC: Bike renovation and donation scheme and bike repair workshops – Enfield and Haringey
- Markets N22 CIC: Establishing a repair café - Haringey
- Our Home Our Planet CIC: Sustainability fairs and behaviour change workshops – Barnet
- St Andrew's Church, Thornhill Square: Providing equipment to support clothing exchange - Islington
- The Mill: Extending reach of repair cafés and clubs – Waltham Forest
Check out the below videos created for previous years recipients:
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