Cornish charity, Sensory Trust, has been awarded £860k from The National Lottery Community Fund, to put inclusion at the heart of climate action.
The project will be working with deaf and hard of hearing people, blind and partially sighted people and autistic people, responding to new climate science and identifying practical simple steps to tackle climate change.
It is a UK-wide project with partners from Edinburgh University, National Wildflower Centre and Trees for Cities along with a network of community and environmental advisors.
Emerging science shows that a focus on water, in addition to carbon, opens new routes to climate action that are cheaper, faster and more widely adoptable.
By focusing on water, scientists believe that real change is possible within a decade. This includes capturing water by increasing vegetation cover and diversity and storing water and carbon in the soil. The benefit of this approach, they say, is that everyone can contribute without having to make big lifestyle changes.
As an organisation focused on inclusion and equity, Sensory Trust is keen to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to be informed and make a difference. It says that typically, the narrative around climate change is complex and materials are often not available in alternative formats such as British Sign Language (BSL), braille, Widgit and plain English.
The charity fears a lack of opportunity to participate directly through these languages, rather than mediated by others, commonly excludes people from developing a personal sense of ownership for taking greater care of the environment.
Director, Jane Stoneham, said: “We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way. Now, thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to work with partners across the UK to tackle climate change in exciting new ways.”
Mel Eaglesfield, Deputy Director at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “We’re delighted to fund Sensory Trust through our Climate Action Fund, and contribute towards their goal of making climate action accessible for all.
“Thanks to National Lottery players, we’re able to support this terrific inclusive initiative, breaking down barriers for all members of the community to contribute towards tackling climate change locally.”
