§ Lord Gray of Continasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they expect to make an announcement on who will receive funding under the new environmental grant fund.
§ Baroness Blatch:Offers of funding totalling £650,000 have today been made to 36 voluntary organisations for projects which will help take forward the policies set out in the Department of the Environment's White Paper This Common Inheritance. There was an overwhelming response to the new fund. We should like to thank all those who applied for getting this first year of the fund off to such a good start and wish those who were unsuccessful this time well for next year when a total of £1 million will be available.
We are especially glad that the new fund is supporting innovative projects and groups new to environmental work, ranging from a Law Centres' Federation project to promote awareness of environmental law, through work on environmental awareness among young people organised by the Girl Guides in the South West, to a project from the Bat Conservation Trust to help Church authorities with the guests in their belfries. We are also pleased that we have been able to support projects throughout England, including ways of resolving disputes over domestic noise in Bristol; work with the handicapped in Staffordshire; community projects in East London; and environmental networks in the West Midlands and Merseyside.
A list of the groups who have been offered support is below.
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- Age Concern
- The Bat Conservation Trust
- The Bridle Gate Project
- Bristol Recycling Consortium
- British Dragonfly Society
- British Trust for Conservation Volunteers
- Community Land and Workspace Services
- Council for Environmental Education
- The Council for Occupational Standards and Qualifications in Environmental Conservation Council for the Protection of Rural England
- The Environment Council
- Farming and Wildlife Trust
- Forum for Initiatives in Reparation and Mediation
- Friends of the Earth
- The Garden History Society
- The Girl Guides Association (South West)
- Groundwork Foundation (South Leeds Groundwork Trust)
- Henry Doubleday Research Association
- The Institute of Business Ethics
- Kennet and Avon Canal Trust
- Law Centres Federation
- Marine Conservation Society
- Mersey Basin Campaign Voluntary Sector Network
- National Council for Voluntary Organisations
- Neighbourhood Energy Action
- Pedestrians' Association
- Recycling City Ltd.
- The Royal National Institute for the Deaf
- Royal Society for Nature Conservation
- Royal Society for the Preservation of Birds
- Tower Hamlets Environment Trust
- The Tree Council
- The Victorian Society
- Waste Watch
- West Midlands Environment Network
- Youth Clubs UK