The scheme run by Leicestershire County Council offers grants to support the local environment and reduce household waste in the county.
One group that has already benefited from the scheme is Stanford Ringing Group. The volunteers, based at Stanford Reservoir near South Kilworth, are licensed to ring wild birds but until recently had limited data about the breeding numbers of endangered ground nesting species.
The group applied for a SHIRE Environment Grant of £1,167 to purchase a thermal imaging camera, which uses heat to form an image of birds and mammals in total darkness and has helped them to ring two new species.
David Neal, treasurer for Stanford Ringing Group, said: “With this new revolutionary method of obtaining nocturnal data of birds and wildlife, we will be able to support our local farmers and community by providing them with important data.”
Leicestershire’s collective mission is to reduce our overall greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of household waste we produce whilst also increasing our biodiversity throughout the county.
The SHIRE Environment Grant enables community groups and organisations to make fantastic environmental changes and helps Leicestershire towards its goal of becoming a net zero carbon emissions place to live by 2045. Everyone can play their part in achieving this goal and I would encourage more groups to apply for a grant.
Person:Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for action on climate change
The grant will only be available for projects where the main beneficiaries are residents of Leicestershire, excluding Leicester City and Rutland and should help reduce the amount of household waste or greenhouse gas emissions within communities, improve biodiversity or support sustainable green spaces. A simplified application process is also available for smaller grants of up to £300.
The deadline for the next round of funding is Friday, 26 February 2021.
A virtual drop-in session for those who would like more information or guidance with the application will be held on Thursday, 11 February between 10am-11am: SHIRE Environment Grant: Virtual drop-in session
For further information and how to apply, visit: SHIRE Environment Grant
Email: environmentgrant@leics.gov.uk