Community organisations in Brighton, Hove and East Sussex celebrate securing four-year funding of £1.21million

Fifteen community organisations in Brighton, Hove and East Sussex are celebrating securing four-year funding of £1.21million from the National Lottery’s Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK to build Food Use Confidence in communities across the region to support work tackling food waste and engaging communities in climate action.

The groups involved already engage with diverse communities, including demographics often underrepresented in climate action. By involving people across age, ethnicity, and social backgrounds, the project aspires to cultivate a culture of environmental stewardship for generations to come.

Starting in July 2024, the project is organised around eight themes. Each will have a ‘beacon’ project, leading the way through the development of the project.

Tom from Old Tree Soil, who helped install the compost tumblers, is showing participants through a microscope at compost sample from the first tumbler to see how living it is

Paul Loman from Real Junk Food Project, which with the support of Brighton Table Tennis Club will work in schools and run after school clubs to inspire a new generation of Food Use Activists, said: “We are delighted to be part of the citywide team being awarded a full grant by TNL. We will be engaging with schools to increase awareness of the issue of food waste as well as developing further the after-school cookery sessions we run with Brighton Table Tennis Club to enable young people who receive free school meals to play sport and learn to cook.”

The project, which will increase the number of community venues using onsite compost tumblers to turn their food waste into compost, will expand over its lifetime and aims to divert around 135,000 tonnes or 1,800 wheelie bins of waste per year by the end of the project.

Perry from Soil Redemption, looking under the microscope at the first annual Loving Living Soil event.

The project will collaborate with Brighton & Hove City Council and Lewes District Council to engage residents in food waste reduction /recycling and with Sport England to share learning with sports clubs across the UK.

Cllr Bella Sankey, leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, said: “Thank you to the National Lottery Climate Action Fund for supporting Food Use places. Brighton & Hove City Council a look forward to working with the partnership of 15 community rooted organisations. In particular, we welcome the focus on engaging people that are currently under-represented in climate action.”