Ouse Valley wins £2 million funding for climate action

The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, has awarded the significant sum to Ouse Valley Climate Action (OVCA), which successfully bid for the funding among over 600 applicants.

The East Sussex partnership, which covers 10 organisations, including the South Downs National Park Authority and Lewes District Council, received the funding after years of discussions across the region to work up a successful bid.

Vanessa Rowlands, chair of the South Downs National Park Authority, said: “This summer has shown that climate change is a real issue that all communities are having to deal with, rather than some ‘pie in the sky’ only affecting future generations.

“I’m delighted that the Ouse Valley has won this significant funding, which will help make it one of the national leaders in community climate action. This is all about people in the community coming together to tackle the climate emergency in a really positive, proactive way.”

The project area follows the River Ouse downstream from the village of Barcombe – which is aiming to be the UK’s first net-zero village – through to Lewes, the National Park’s largest town, and further south to the coastal towns of Seaford, Peacehaven, and Newhaven.

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The funding will focus on three key areas – nature recovery and climate resilience, people’s knowledge and skills and greener energy and travel.

Aims of the project include capturing more carbon with natural solutions, such as tree planting and creating new wildlife habitats, and supporting new greener travel initiatives around walking, cycling and e-bikes.

Councillor Matthew Bird, cabinet member for Sustainability at Lewes District Council, said: “It’s impossible to underestimate the importance of the Ouse Valley Climate Action project to our communities and partners along the river catchment and I’m really delighted and proud that out of nearly 600 bid submissions the National Lottery has recognised ours as one of the very few to be successful.

“We worked extremely hard at the council to ensure a strong partnership bid and personally, having worked in Lewes District for nearly 20 years on climate change, this is an extremely rewarding moment.”