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Changing Spaces

For areas: England
Open for applications: 17 March 2008
Application closing date: See below for details
Total available: Approximately £200 million

Changing Spaces is an environmental programme focusing on three priority areas – community spaces, local community enterprise and access to the natural environment. It will invest around £200 million in environmental projects across England. The programme is being delivered in partnership with other organisations who are either delivering a large strategic portfolio or an England wide, open grants programme on our behalf.

In August 2007 we announced grants to five strategic portfolios, covering a diverse range of issues from local food production to green space improvements. The organisations we have awarded grants to are the Crime Concern Trust, Field Studies Council, Imperial College, Places for People and the Plunkett Foundation.

We have also appointed five organisations to deliver England wide, open grants programmes on our behalf (we call these award partners). If you have a project that you thinks fits under one of the programmes visit the websites listed on this page or call the Changing Spaces Advice Line on 0845 3 671 671 (textphone 0845 6 02 16 59). The grants programmes are:

Local Food programme (run by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts) – this programme opened to applications on 17 March 2008. It funds a range of organisations who want to deliver a variety of food related projects to make locally grown food more accessible and affordable to local communities. For more information visit www.localfoodgrants.org.

Community Spaces programme (run by Groundwork UK) – this programme opened to applications on 19 March 2008. It funds community groups who want to improve local green spaces such as play areas, community gardens, parks, wildlife areas and village greens. For more information visit www.community-spaces.org.uk.

Community Sustainable Energy programme (run by Building Research Establishment) – this programme opened to applications on 7 April 2008. It will pay for community-based organisations to install renewable energy technologies (such as wind turbines and solar panels) and energy saving measures (such as roof and cavity wall insulation). For more information visit www.communitysustainable.org.uk

Access to Nature programme (run by Natural England) – this programme opened to applications on 28 April 2008. It funds a range of organisations who want to encourage people from all backgrounds to learn more about and enjoy the natural environment. For more information visit www.naturalengland.org.uk/accesstonature.

Ecominds programme (run by Mind) – we expect this programme to launch in late summer 2008. It will fund a range of groups who want to encourage people with experience of mental distress to get involved in environmental projects, such as improving open spaces and wildlife habitats, designing public art and recycling. For more information visit www.ecominds.org.uk

If your project is about improving a public space you may find it helpful to read CABE Space’s guide for community groups called ‘It’s our space’. This guide provides information on how to plan, design, construct and use a public space project. To download a copy click on the following link at www.cabe.org.uk

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