Sustrans Scotland and Helping Hand Environmental have joined forces to bring funding to communities in Scotland. With Sustrans’ Love Your Network grant, you could be eligible for up to £1000 to put towards your community.
What is the Love Your Network grant?
The Love Your Network grant is funded by the Scottish Government through Sustrans Scotland. The grant aims to support community groups by helping to make traffic-free sections of the National Cycle Network a more welcoming place for people and wildlife. Community groups can receive equipment for litter picking, and hand tools for maintenance and wildlife management tasks. Through workshops about birds, bees, and butterflies, the public can learn about the wildlife on their routes and how to record their sightings. In addition, we have been able to support community groups across the country through Love Your Network.
Many communities have already benefitted from the LYN grant:
- Members of a community hub in Nairn received training from a wildlife expert to learn how to identify and record the birds in their local area.
- A Clydebank kayak club received litter picking equipment to aid their mission to transform the area along a canal, making it cleaner, more attractive, and safer for humans and wildlife.
- A Stirling conservation group were awarded scything tools and wildflower seeds, enabling them to create and maintain a beautiful wildflower meadow.
Who’s eligible?
Traffic-free sections of the National Cycle Network as shown with the solid orange line on the Sustrans National Cycle Network Map are eligible for funding. Community groups, registered charities, or social enterprises can apply for funding. Grants of up to £1000 are available, with which Love Your Network will purchase equipment and training on behalf of the awarded group.
The Sustrans Partner Pack contains everything you need to get started, and interested community groups can find out how to apply by visiting the Sustrans website.
The 2023/24 funding round will close at 23:59 on 5th February 2024.
Sustrans support for communities
Sustrans works for and with communities, helping them to create healthier places and happier lives for everyone by making it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle in their local area. They inspire people to change the way people travel every day, forging closer connections with our neighbours and reducing traffic to create a better environment and more sustainable society for everyone. They are custodians of the National Cycle Network, a UK-wide network of traffic-free paths for everyone, connecting cities, towns, and countryside, loved by the communities they serve. Find out about other opportunities advice, support, and funding work in Scotland.
If you would like to stay connected, please sign up to the Love Your Network newsletter. The sign-up form can be found at the bottom of the Love Your Network grant page.