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  • LEAF is now OPEN for applications

    Our Local Environmental Action Fund is currently OPEN. We have amended the upper income limit for applying organisations so that more groups can benefit.

Would you like to take action on climate change and biodiversity, at the same time as improving the place where you live?

About LEAF

North East Scotland Climate Action Network (NESCAN) Hub on behalf of Aberdeen City Council, is delighted to launch LEAF—a new environmental fund for projects located in Aberdeen City.  

Hazlehead Squirrel Woodland Management 17 March 2018 (4) 

LEAF Criteria

  • Any not-for-profit community groups or organisations based in Aberdeen City, with an annual income under £200,000, can apply for funding for projects to be located in Aberdeen City. Individual grants can be awarded up to £3,000. 
  • We ask applicants to become a member of NESCAN before applying. 
  • Projects that meet the fund criteria and priorities will be supported.
  • We encourage applications that are led by young people or disadvantaged or minority groups.
  • We welcome proposals that will help groups leverage wider funding, and understand that this may include planning/ design/ legal/ consultant fees, feasibility studies or match funding.

OPEN:  Wednesday 11th December 2024 

CLOSING:  Monday 3rd February 2025 or while funds remain.  

The purpose of this fund is to empower communities to take positive action in the places and on things that matter to them, with a focus on climate change and nature recovery.

The fund will enable communities to support the delivery of Aberdeen Adapts, the Net Zero Aberdeen Routemap, underlying Aberdeen Empowerment Strategy and Natural Environment Strategy, as well as help to deliver the Local Outcome Improvement Plan 2016-2026.

The kinds of projects we can fund include: 

  • Environmental projects that provide social benefits as well as aiding and encouraging nature, promoting local biodiversity, or improving the natural environment.
  • Environmental projects that help communities respond to climate change, including nature-based solutions.
  • Proposals that help leverage additional funding for larger-scale projects that meet either of the above criteria. For example: match funding or feasibility studies and retrofit assessment/plans.

Woods accessible paths

 

Projects should aim to achieve at least one of the following environmental outcomes:

  1. Protect, enhance and increase biodiversity & nature
  2. Improve existing or develop new spaces that benefit communities including parks, public gardens, playing fields, woodlands, natural "rewilded" areas, play areas, rivers, ponds, coastal habitats, allotments, community gardens and public spaces.
  3. Help communities mitigate, adapt to and build resilience to climate change, including the use of nature-based solutions.
  4. Raising awareness of and prompting action on nature, biodiversity, climate, and the environment.

    Peacock Butterfly_RT

 

Applications should show how the project will support one or more social outcomes: 

  1. Mental, physical, or emotional health and wellbeing.
  2. Community priorities and needs.
  3. Equity, inclusion, and diversity. 
  4. Marginalised, minority or disadvantaged communities.
  5. Building skills and capacity. 
  6. Collaborative working. 
  7. The long-term viability of your organisation and initiative.
  8. Community engagement and decision-making in relation to place.

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Please note that we may ask for copies of bank statements, annual accounts and constitution before a grant offer is finalised.

 

 

 

APPLY FOR LEAF

Other things to consider

  1. Our ethos is sustainability, please consider this when designing your projects. 

  2. Please ensure that you have considered the best value for purchases before making your application including longevity, sustainability, and support for local businesses. Physical goods and products should be recycled, second-hand or reusable where possible, and you should have a plan as to how they will be disposed of after their use.

  3. Trees, plants, and seeds should be native, responsibly and locally sourced where possible - NESBiP can provide help and support with this.  

  4. Please ensure that all relevant and required permissions and agreements are or will be in place to proceed, e.g. property/land owner permissions.

  5. We value a co-creational approach being taken with the targeted beneficiaries/local community, when designing and implementing projects, and a clear indication of how the project is meeting community needs and will have a positive impact.  

  6. We welcome proposals that will help groups leverage wider funding, and understand that this may include match funding, however, we require applications to identify specific costs that the fund would cover.   

  7. We expect that any travel expenses would only be for active (walking/biking/wheeling) or sustainable travel, such as public transport

  8. Our fund will not cover salaries or staff costs, but funds can be used to pay contractors or people with specialist expertise. The fund is to build your capacity by bringing in equipment, skills, or expertise you do not currently have. 

We don't fund projects that:

  1. Projects that support market-based responses to climate change such as carbon trading or carbon offsetting.

  2. The purchase of equipment that use fossil fuel except where there is no realistic alterative.  

  3. Projects that involve any environmentally damaging activities.  

  4. Projects that have not made every effort to be environmentally responsible.  

Examples of projects that might be supported:

  • Creation of healthy wildflower meadows. These absorb more carbon than a mowed grass lawn, and with community maintenance, provide co-benefits in terms of community cohesion and resilience and improving mental health and wellbeing.  
  • Improving natural carbon capture, soil health, and biodiversity by composting, soil regeneration, and promoting the health of soil microorganisms like fungi. 
  • Managing spaces for wildlife and supporting biodiversity by creating or improving habitats and homes including bird/bat boxes, swift bricks and boxes, hedgehog houses, hedgehog highways, insect hotels, wild bee houses, etc., or similar  
  • Community planting projects such as trees, shrubs, fruit bushes & trees, edible perennials, and wildflower planting with the right tree or plant in the right place.  
wild flower seed bombs nescan
  •  Physical environment improvements such as signage, information panels, interpretation, and way markers; to promote, educate, and increase enjoyment of greenspaces and biodiversity e.g. by helping to identify local animal, insect, bird, and plant species or to inform about the histories and stories of people and place.
  • Street or green space furniture such as benches, picnic benches, outdoor classrooms, wildlife observatories, and promoting active travel, outdoor learning, and natural play.
  • Creating more inclusive and accessible spaces e.g. providing inclusive furniture such as wheelchair-accessible picnic benches and seating or similar accessibility improvements.  
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  • Support for community gardens and community food growing including tools, containers, plants, electric tools, litter picking equipment, infrastructure, and improved access.
  • Support for active travel, including improvements to paths, walkways, circular walks or feasibility studies or planning and other costs.
  • Energy Efficiency Improvement assessments or plans for community buildings & not for profit organisations or residential building archetypes. 
  • Feasibility studies for community energy schemes, or other renewable energy options
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  • Feasibility studies for de-culverting burns and wetland projects that reduce the effects of flooding and drought, store carbon, and support wildlife.
  • Supporting climate change/ biodiversity action plans by young people or disadvantaged or minority groups. 
  • Support for reducing waste and improving outdoor spaces such as facilitating upcycling and repair, litter picking equipment, and promoting responsible dog ownership.
HDT
  • Projects that create the means and mechanisms for input, participation, and collaboration to respond to climate change – for example, training and courses to upskill the community or community organisations, including public consultations, community engagement, events and publicity including raising awareness around environmental issues.
  • Projects that support collective decision-making and participation to promote community engagement and empowerment around climate and the local environment.
Apply for LEAF

COMMUNITY PROJECT VIDEOS

Be inspired and get involved today

Enjoy our collection of videos showcasing amazing community-led projects 

Explore Our Community Project Videos
4-Wee Forest Planting_3

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

LEAF is open to any local not-for-profit community organisation with an annual income under £200,000 can apply for projects to be located in Aberdeen City. Individual grants can be awarded up to £3,000. 

Your group or organisation must be based in Aberdeen City and your project should be run by local people under their direction and for the benefit of their community and the environment. 

You can apply if you have already been awarded NESAN Seed Fund, but the combined awards must not be more than £3000 during any one year (April- March)

You can apply any time from Monday 28th June 2024 and before the fund deadline of Monday 5th August 2024, while funds remain. 

We allocate to eligible applications on a first come first served basis. 

Be sure to submit your application as soon as possible! 

 

Simply click the 'APPLY FOR LEAF' link to access the application form.

We don't have the capacity to save partially completed forms, so make sure you have all the information you need before you start. 

 

You will receive an automated email acknowledging receipt of your application form. In most cases we should be able to give a decision within 10 working days, although we may contact you during that time for further information.

We will aim to send you a copy of your application form, however as we are using new (for us) technology, we recommend that you keep copies of your application before submission. 

Please let us know about any bugs or errors in the online application process by email to rachel@nescan.org

We’ll contact you to confirm the amount and your bank details. Payment is usually made within 7-10 days after we receive the bank details and grant acceptance form. Successful projects will be shared on our website with the organisation or group’s name, project description and link to their website (funding amounts will not be publicised).

Yes up to a maximum of £3,000 per group or organisation for any financial year to enable us to fund as many organisations and projects as possible. 

Our Funding and Development Officer can provide support and advice when completing your form. If any information on this page is difficult to understand we are happy to provide it in other formats, including larger print upon request.

Please contact rachel@nescan.org or info@nescan.org for further information.

Please send us photographs or photocopies of receipts showing what you have spent the money on. We will issue you with a short form to complete to explain how you have spent the money and the impact it has made. Please return this form within 6 months of your funds being allocated. We are interested in hearing about any challenges you faced with your project, and anything that worked well. Please do take lots of photos of your project for knowledge sharing and publicity purposes. Please be aware that if you don't provide feedback and evidence of how you have spent the grant, we won't able to consider you for grants in the future.

Yes. If your application is rejected, you may have other projects that fit our criteria.

We encourage applicants to talk through their application with our advisers before applying. You can contact Rachel our Funding Officer at rachel@nescan.org for an appointment. 

Please note only NESCAN members are eligible to apply for LEAF.  If you aren't already a member, it is quick, free, and straightforward to apply.

Become a Member of NESCAN

Aberdeen City Council invite you to sign the Aberdeen Climate and Nature Pledge

The Aberdeen Climate and Nature Pledge is a commitment by the organisations and people of the City of Aberdeen to act within their own organisations and lives to contribute towards the Net Zero Aberdeen Route map and Aberdeen Adapts climate adaptation framework.
Collaboration is at the heart of the city approach to climate change. By signing the Aberdeen Climate and Nature Pledge, you can commit to getting involved and playing your part.