We support VCSE (voluntary, community and social enterprise) organisations and communities in the North East and Cumbria to take action on the climate emergency, support nature and biodiversity and ensure a just transition to a low carbon future for our communities.
Climate change affects us all, but through climate action we can work towards a healthier and more sustainable future for everyone.
Whether you work with young or older people, in health and wellbeing, supporting local communities or tacking inequalities and working with marginalised groups; our lives, our work and our communities require a stable climate.
Right now, the climate crisis is impacting on the poor and vulnerable most, both globally and here in the UK. As the impacts of climate change increase, the impact on vulnerable people and communities will accelerate.
Already older people are dying from extreme heat and colder winters. Many lower-income households can’t afford house insurance or to protect their homes from flooding and are struggling to pay their heating bills. More extreme weather will affect farming, causing food prices to rise. Colder weather means bigger energy bills which will continue to make life that much harder for people with less income.
We can choose a different future for our region, a future where our most disadvantaged people and communities can benefit from a greener, more sustainable way of life. We want a future of warmer homes, better public transport, locally sourced and healthier food, more secure, skilled jobs and a more resilient and future-proofed local economy.
In taking climate action, the VCSE sector will become more resilient and adaptable while helping to protect those most affected by climate change.
The North East’s VCSE sector told us they need support to understand the climate crisis, and how they can take action. That is what Going Green Together is here to do. We are building a climate action movement within the VCSE sector.
We support and encourage organisations to take their very first steps in reducing their carbon emissions while helping them to embed sustainability within their work. But this is just the beginning.
We have secured funding from the National Lottery Community Fund and County Durham Community Foundation for a further programme that supports organisations to take their climate action further, including embedding it in our work with communities and clients, which launched in 2022. This enabled us to increase our reach to VCSE organisations in Cumbria, and will include events, workshops, training, resources and toolkits, access to tools and frameworks and development funding for new climate action projects with beneficiaries.
Going Green Together is delivered by a partnership of the VONNE Climate Action Alliance (VCAA) members, VONNE, Cumbria CVS, Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS), Genee, SmartCarbon and SIDE Labs.
The VONNE Climate Action Alliance is a group of community and charity organisations based in North East England and Cumbria wanting to engage, inspire and support others in the VCSE sector to take climate action, support nature and support our people and communities through the transition to a green economy.
Join the Going Green Together movement today – to learn, take your first steps in climate action, and share your successes with the community to help inspire others. Connect with us and others by joining our network.
