Community conscious groups are receiving nearly £30,000 to reduce waste in Barnet Council’s drive to become net zero as a council by 2030 and as a borough by 2042.
The funding is being distributed by the North London Waste Authority. In Barnet, the grants are being split between £5,000 for Friern Barnet Community Library, £7,200 for Living Way Ministries, and £15,000 for Edible London.
Friern Barnet Community Library can now fix 150 items a month, from small appliances, like laptops and phones, to bikes, scooters and skateboards in their monthly repair café. This will help upskill an estimated 120 people in repair techniques as well as preventing residents from binning items they can now continue using.
Living Way Ministries can now conduct 24 upcycling and repair workshops, held twice a month across different wards. They will also run monthly food waste prevention workshops for marginalised and low-income communities.
Edible London, meanwhile, will deliver 20 workshops and three events on food waste prevention and recycling, reaching 1,000 residents. They will train 50 young people and take 20 of them on in leadership roles, as well as working with companies to redistribute their surplus food.
Councillor Alan Schneiderman, Cabinet Member for Environment & Climate Change, said: “We are working in partnership with our neighbouring councils to reduce waste. This helps to save money and make our planet a better, and a healthier, place for everyone to live on. That’s why we’re working together to support residents and tackle the climate emergency. This funding – which will include similar grants for community groups in our neighbouring council areas – will help us do this.”
The funding is being distributed by the North London Waste Authority, which is governed by 14 members. They are made up of two councillors from each of the seven North London boroughs that the organisation represents, including Barnet Council. The funding for Barnet is just part of the funding that which will be distributed across the region.
For further updates, please visit: https://www.nlwa.gov.uk/article/north-london-community-fund-grant-opportunities