Climate Action Hubs programme: evaluation

Annex 1: Case studies

Forth Valley Climate Action Hub

Introduction

This case study describes how the Forth Valley Climate Action Hub was formed and explores the work being delivered by the Hub through several key activities and the impact they have had in driving community climate action. It is based on monitoring data provided by the Hub and interviews with 8 stakeholders.

Origins and governance of the Forth Valley Climate Action Hub

The Forth Valley Climate Hub sits within a charity FEL Scotland (Forth Environment Link), an organisation established in 1989 to help communities take forward climate action. The charity is governed by a board of local trustees and is comprised of 30 team members across several thematic teams, including energy, food and growing, active travel, and the climate Hub itself. Embedding the Hub as a project within FEL has given it access to established governance, internal processes, administrative and communications support, and existing relationships across Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire.

Delivery model

The climate Hub, therefore, sits in a pre-existing system, with established community relationships, and partnerships with local authorities, healthcare, the third sector, and business. The climate Hub has allowed FEL to join up their existing thematic areas and better articulate their identity as a charity. Combining an established organisation with a government-funded initiative has built credibility for the Hub. This has levered £440,000 of additional funds that have enabled the scaling of existing projects.

“When I'm talking to new potential funders, partners. It just helps people have trust, faith in what the Climate Hub programme is, in context to Forth Environment Link, but that it's part of a Scottish commitment, it's part of our network, it's well supported by government, it's wanted from a community perspective, and it creates a real lever for development.”

Integrating the climate Hub within FEL Scotland has increased the Hub’s effective capacity through access to existing specialist teams beyond the core Hub staff. This has allowed them to provide holistic climate-based support to communities.

A particular advantage of the Hub’s delivery model has been the financial resilience of an established charity, with reserves and access to alternative funding streams not available to newer organisations. This has created a sense of stability for staff and delivery.

Grant funding: taking a ‘test and learn’ approach

The Hub has taken a ‘test and learn’ approach to its delivery, trying out approaches, listening to feedback and then adjusting or scaling them as appropriate. A prominent example of this is the Hub’s approach to small grants funding, of which there have now been four rounds.

Early approaches to a grant scheme offered small ‘seed grants’ (typically £250-£1,500) to community groups, applied for within a month-long window. The Hub found, however, that due to the name of the scheme, many groups were misinterpreting this as a food and growing fund and this was skewing their applications food-based projects. The Hub also responded to feedback that communities were finding the timescale for the application challenging.

A third round of grant funding received extra support through Scotland’s International Environment Centre, based at Stirling University, which saw the Hub as a way of reaching communities with climate action. Extra funding increased the grant pot from £25,000 to £80,000. The Hub’s funding coordinator also piloted a new structure for the grant funding, offering a ‘first steps’ grant to encourage communities to try new ideas and take their first steps into climate action, and a ‘next steps’ grant to support existing projects:

“One of my bugbears is when funders always ask for something brand new and innovative that's never been done before, when actually what we want to do is build up things and try different things and then continue with the things that can work. So test things and then scale them. So we want to support that approach.”

Since inception, the Hub has awarded over £134,000 across three rounds. In 2024-2025, 55 projects were funded through Hub and partner pots.

Project Innovation through Trees for Goals

Trees for Goals is an example of one of the Hub’s innovative, place-based projects. The idea had originated from conversations with Alloa Saints Football Club, who were having major issues with flooding on their pitch. The Hub had explained the links of this with climate change and it was decided that every time a player scored a goal, a tree would be planted.

“There's a lot of tree planting projects where you do something and then the trees get planted and you never see them. And the idea is for the players to plant the trees themselves and build that connection between them.”

In partnership with TCV Scotland and Forth Climate Forest, Trees for Goals has now been scaled up to fourteen clubs across the Forth Valley region. The Hub has also incorporated climate pledges into the scheme, such as kit recycling, reusable water bottles, or car sharing to games. They have also been working with Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Council to create a local information pack on making a sports team sustainable.

Hub staff can also see the potential for Trees for Goals to be adopted by other football or sports teams nationally, as a way of encouraging climate action and awareness in people who might not have been a natural audience.

“We're going to push really hard for that because I think it's a total winner. And what is also a major bonus about being part of 24 other Hubs is that they could all do it too. And before you know it, you've got a really like new brand, new theme that brings nature, flooding, people, community, sport together.”

In 2024-25, the project planted 2,000 trees, attracted 60 volunteers, and won local and national media coverage, while addressing pitch flooding through planting.

Feedback on the project demonstrates the community pride gained through the initiative:

“The response has been incredible. One of the boys that was at the planting asked his mum if that means he is now a celebrity.”

Equitable and Inclusive Climate Action: Women in Climate Leadership fund

Having received the extra support from Scotland’s International Environment Centre, Forth Valley Hub decided to extend their climate leadership programme and implement a women’s climate leader fund. This flexible fund of £1,000 supported women to self-direct their own learning opportunities, including formal courses, travelling to shadow and learn from other groups, or providing support such as childcare or equipment.

One interviewee described the impact of the fund on an individual participant:

“She found a group across the country and spent some time with them. We paid for our expenses to be able to do that and for the consulting fee of that group to also share with her. And she came back with loads of ideas for developing different types of food projects and engaging the community in different ways to the extent that she's now collaborating with our local authority as they're developing their food fortnight next year and really galvanizing her community around it. So she went, these are her own words from the edge of volunteering to actually leading the volunteering on a particular topic.”

In 2024-2025, five women received training grants and seven community leaders progressed through the Hub’s Climate Leadership Programme (each with a small project grant and mentoring), reporting increased confidence, stronger local networks, and a greater ability to influence climate action.

Glasgow Climate Action Hub

Introduction

This case study describes how the Glasgow Climate Action Hub was formed, the work being delivered by the Hub and the impact it has had on local community climate action. It is based on monitoring data provided by the Hub and interviews with 16 stakeholders, including representatives from each of the Hub’s member organisations.

Origins of the Glasgow Climate Action Hub

The Glasgow Climate Action Hub (GCAH) was established in late 2023 as a consortium model, reflecting the city’s existing landscape of community groups and social enterprises already active in environmental and sustainability spaces. The partnership approach has successfully leveraged the strengths and audiences of multiple community organisations, and avoided ‘parachuting in’ a new agency, which could have risked duplicating efforts or alienating existing groups.

“Glasgow has got a lot of third sector activity... We were very keen at the beginning not to have a new organisation with its own new staff, its own new branding. In a world of finite resources, funding a new organisation would, by definition, drain money away from other places.” “It works particularly well because of Glasgow’s geography and socio-economic mix, but we think this consortium approach could work anywhere. It’s about capacity building, building up existing organisations rather than replacing them.”

Hub governance

Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector (GCVS) was appointed as the lead partner due to its city-wide presence and existing governance capacity. GCVS hosts a small central team comprising of a Hub manager and a part-time coordinator who lead on the Hub’s administration and communications and provide support to the other Hub partners.

While GCVS act as the lead partner, the Hub’s governance and decision-making are collaborative and democratic. Major decisions are made by a steering committee composed of all partner organisations, which meets quarterly to plan strategy, share progress, and troubleshoot issues.

Delivery model

GCAH is comprised of 10 partner organisations, each leading climate activities within its own area of expertise and community reach. This structure ensures broad thematic coverage, including initiatives aimed at home energy, sustainable food, retrofit advice, waste reduction.

“Each [partner] has a specific strength and a specific theme… for example, we have Rags to Riches delivering workshops around circular economy…and Parents For Future Scotland working with migrant women to empower them to understand more about climate”.

The table below describes the Hub’s current partners and the strand of work being delivered as a Hub member.

Partner organisation	Description
GCVS	Lead partner providing overall coordination of GCAH.
Glasgow Eco Trust	Community-led environmental charity driving local climate solutions with a focus on sustainable transport and energy saving.
Loco Home Retrofit	Social enterprise cooperative helping Glasgow households decarbonise their homes by replacing gas boilers with lower carbon solutions including heat pumps and insulation.
Parents For Future Scotland	Volunteer-driven network empowering parents, schools and marginalised communities to take climate action.
Govanhill Baths / Rags to Riches	Community organisation delivering circular economy activities aimed at reducing waste including upcycling workshops, repair classes, swap shops and creative skills training.
Merry-go-round	Social enterprise and charity promoting sustainable parenting practices. Runs a popular shop rehoming high-quality second-hand baby and toddler goods, a free baby essentials “carousel” pack service for families in need and a family event space.
Woodlands Community Development Trust	Place-based community organisation using urban nature and wellbeing activities to engage residents on climate issues. Manages a public community garden and café.
ApparelXChange	Community interest company promoting sustainable fashion for young people. Provides second hand school uniforms and children’s clothes, runs creative upcycling workshops to teach repair and reuse skills.
Awaz FM	Community radio station with programmes in Urdu, Punjabi and Bengali. The Hub funds four monthly radio shows on topics like recycling, energy saving, food waste, and sustainable transport, featuring interviews with partner organisations and other guests.
Glasgow Community Energy	Community-owned energy cooperative installing and operating solar panels on council-owned buildings such as schools, and reinvesting profits into local projects.

Hub Activities

GCAH partners deliver a wide range of climate initiatives.

Community engagement and education

Partners deliver workshops, courses and events that inform and inspire people about climate solutions. For example:

• Merry-go-round’s green parenting sessions help new parents learn about cloth nappies, sustainable baby food, and toy reuse in a friendly and inclusive setting.
• Parents For Future Scotland host “walk and talk” outings where migrant women recovering from trauma connect with nature and discuss climate issues in a safe, trusted environment.
• Awaz FM broadcast radio shows delivered in Urdu, Punjabi and other languages which link environmental topics to everyday life challenges such as energy bills, transport, and food waste.

Building climate-orientated skills

Hub activities equip communities with hands-on skills that can contribute to emissions reduction or resilience-building actions. For example, circular economy workshops by Rags to Riches and ApparelXChange teach sewing, upcycling, and fashion reuse. Woodlands Community Trust offer gardening and composting workshops that increase local food production and access to green spaces.

Cross-partner collaboration

The consortium model facilitates shared learning, joint events and access to audiences that the individual members otherwise would not have. For example, a number of the partners have been invited as guests on Awaz Radio station to promote their own initiatives.

“It becomes more than the sum of its parts by being a network…it's a really good, really effective way of us reaching new audiences.”

“We were speaking to far more people by turning up at their events…all we needed to do was put a stall on, and that’s way better [than organising our own events]. We can stay narrow and deep in our specialisation…while having the broad banner [of the Hub] to reach people.”

GCAH also enables delivery partners to share best practices and collaborate through quarterly in-person gatherings. At one session, GCAH hosted a ‘speed‑dating’ event, where the partners had a series of brief one-to-one conversations with each other, sharing upcoming plans, offers of support and opportunities to co‑deliver activities. This helped with cross-partner relationship‑building and helped to launch a number of shared initiatives, including clothing‑swap collaborations and promotion of and attendance at each other’s events.

Impact

GCAH has driven community climate action and broadened public engagement on environmental issues. In 2024, the Hub’s partners delivered over 160 climate-related workshops and events, involving more than 1,500 participants across the city. Many participants were taking part in climate action for the first time, drawn by practical, culturally tailored activities.

“We strengthened our ability to reach women who are often excluded… by creating trusted community spaces. It’s not just about the bigger problem, it’s about the day-to-day challenges they have… And by the end of the sessions, they feel more empowered, more confident”.

There is also evidence that communities are taking tangible climate action as a result of Hub activity. For instance, the Rags to Riches team and community members collected and recycled 500 kg of waste plastic, turning it into benches and art pieces for public spaces. In addition, the Woodlands Trust composting project has diverted half a tonne of food waste from landfill, creating free compost for local gardens.

The Hub is also making climate action more inclusive by targeting communities often left out of environmental initiatives. Parents For Future Scotland used Hub support to engage over 130 women from refugee and ethnic minority backgrounds in a series of climate conversations and well-being workshops. Participants not only learned about climate impacts but also developed confidence to share personal stories of floods, deforestation, or conflict in their countries of origin.

“The amount of outreach that we've managed to do in Glasgow, the amount of connections that we've managed to make with different organisations across the city, and the amount of education and empowerment... there are literally hundreds of refugee and asylum seeking women that would not have had climate education had it not been for this.”

Awaz FM climate radio programmes brought in callers from South Asian communities who had never before engaged in environmental discussions, sparking follow-up questions and requests for in-person workshops on topics like home energy and recycling.

The Hub’s partners are also working with elderly groups, with one commenting that climate change is now being raised organically in their regular activities, where previously it was rarely discussed. This indicates a rise in climate literacy and confidence at the community level.

Outer Hebrides Climate Action Hub

Introduction

This case study describes how the Outer Hebrides Climate Action Hub was formed, the work it has delivered, and the impact it is having on community‑led climate action across the Western Isles. It is based on monitoring data provided by the Hub and interviews with Hub staff and representatives from local community groups and businesses who have been supported by the Hub.

Origins of the Outer Hebrides Climate Action Hub

The Outer Hebrides Climate Action Hub was established amidst a period of growing local concern over the impact of climate change on the Western Isles. The Outer Hebrides face a set of climate risks that are exceptionally severe due to the combination of low‑lying terrain, fragile coastal defences, exposure to Atlantic storms and dispersed island communities.

“We do think that the impacts that we're going to see in the Outer Hebrides may happen at a very early stage in the process because of the lie of the land and the impacts that we're likely to see through storms and sea level rise and such could be really quite stark.”

In 2019, a school strike and youth‑led protest took place outside the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar offices, where local young people demanded urgent action on climate change. This sparked action from local public bodies, prompting the formation of a Community Planning Partnership Climate Change Working Group. However, it was clear that while the partnership could lead on strategic thinking and planning, it lacked a delivery body with the capacity to hold funds, lead engagement and coordinate activities across the islands.

Climate Hebrides, the Community Interest Company (CIC) that now leads the Climate Action Hub, was formed to fill this gap; a dedicated, island‑based organisation able to convene, resource and facilitate climate action across multiple communities, geographies and sectors. Its creation has enabled community‑level engagement that statutory organisations did not have the resources, connections or flexibility to undertake.

“Climate Hebrides was set up and successfully secured resources for the Climate Hub. And since being able to do that, it's been brilliant to see how the Climate Hub has been able to go out and do that engagement work, engaging with communities from the north to the south of the Outer Hebrides, doing all sorts of training events and conferences, really raising the profile of climate change in the islands and getting that community buy-in.”

“Seeing that happening through the Hub was such an important step because the Community Planning Partnership could not have done it… we wouldn't have been able to pull together all of the valuable community input that has been done over the course of the last couple of years.”

Hub structure and governance

Climate Hebrides acts as the lead body for the Hub, with a small team consisting of a Hub Manager, a Communications Officer and an Outreach Officer. The Hub has a diverse membership of over 300 individuals and organisations, reflecting its strong presence across the islands and growing interest in community‑led climate action.

The Hub plays a convening role, linking groups facing similar challenges, signposting funding, and making connections between organisations and individuals that may not have otherwise crossed paths, including climate practitioners, local residents, crofters, charities, musicians, schools and small businesses. The Hub hosts online gatherings, outreach activities, and events, including Electric Vehicle roadshows, beach cleans, informal drop‑in sessions and training courses.

The network has provided a valuable space for knowledge sharing, new connections, exposure to new ideas and support across sectors.

The Hub’s governance model is highly participatory; members help shape priorities, contribute to the annual business case, and influence the strategic direction of the work.

“When we develop a business case, that has come out of the conversations we've had. Everything we do and we learn from during the year feeds into the business case for developing next year's activities. And once it's drafted, that document goes out to Hub members and they literally type into it and change stuff. That comes back to us, we look at it, we tidy it up a little bit, send it straight back out to all the Hub members. So we go through like three iterations before it actually gets submitted.”

Ideas in Action Fund

The Hub’s delivery model focuses on building capacity and facilitating local community and business‑led activity rather than leading projects. Members are encouraged to identify local needs, propose solutions and apply for micro‑grants through the Ideas in Action Fund.

The Ideas in Action Fund has been one of the most celebrated elements of the Hub’s work. Designed as a simple, one‑page application process, it removes common barriers to accessing funding and has enabled a diverse range of innovative projects. These include solar‑powered concerts, Virtual Reality‑based music tutoring (which reduces travel emissions) and pollinator‑friendly planting.

One local CIC-owner described success in securing funding for plastic identification technology through the Ideas in Action Fund, and the impact this had on her recycling enterprise.

“It was very straightforward, just a wee one side of A4 describing what you would use your funding for and how it would help. Just like a wee chat rather than quite intensive questions and terminology that other folk ask for, stuff that I struggle with.”

“I was able to go on and purchase a machine within days of me getting funding. It’s taken away the human error, but it's also an enormous time saver. Being able to process the volume a lot faster and with no errors has been incredible…. It’s been invaluable.”

The Hub has also supported projects that make climate engagement accessible for people with additional support needs. One example is funding provided to NeuroHebrides, a local charity supporting people with neurological conditions. This allowed the group to hire a disability‑friendly minibus to visit coastal areas affected by climate change, providing local residents facing mobility or health barriers an opportunity to safely take part in climate conversations and solutions.

A local climate conference

For the past two years, the Hub has hosted the Outer Hebrides Conference of Parties (OHCOP), a climate-themed gathering for Hub members and other stakeholders across the islands. The conference celebrates local climate action, shares learning, elevates community voices and maintains pressure on public bodies to act urgently on climate change.

Participants highlighted the conference’s role in making climate action visible and tangible, particularly in an island context where people often work in isolation.

“We had OHCOP2, which is their big climate conference, in Stornoway in September. It was a really good opportunity to network, there was a lot of people there involved in similar things, people that I hadn't met before… There were a couple of award winners that were being recognised for the work that they were doing locally.”

Gathering stories to influence change

Another key piece of work hosted by the Hub is the development of ‘Our Climate Story Map’; an online resource that that gathers and showcases lived experiences, photographs and observations of climate change from across the islands. The project was initiated through Climate Hebrides to ensure that community voices, particularly around visible environmental change, were recorded and recognised as an essential evidence base.

‘Our Climate Story Map’ uses real-life stories and images of climate impacts such as coastal erosion and flooding as both a public archive and a practical tool for planning adaptation responses.

“One of the things that they pulled together was the story mapping work which has pulled together real life experience from people in one place. It's the voice of the people and it’s really powerful. I've actually used it in a number of different scenarios outside of the Outer Hebrides to demonstrate what you can do using the community voice.”

‘Our Climate Story Map’ is helping public bodies to identify priority areas for adaptation measures through community engagement work that they do not have the resources or connections to deliver themselves.

“The public bodies by themselves could not do what the Hub is doing. We just don't have the resources to do it. And the information that the Hub is gathering is so important for that bigger picture and that long-term planning that we need to do in the islands.”

Scottish Borders Climate Action Hub

Introduction

This case study describes how the Scottish Borders Climate Action Network (SBCAN) was formed and explores the work being delivered by the Hub through several of their key thematic areas. It is based on monitoring data provided by the Hub and interviews with 12 stakeholders.

Origins and governance of the Scottish Borders Climate Hub

Prior to the existence of SBCAN, there was an active community of individual climate groups in the Borders. Due to the geographical characteristics of the Borders, collaboration and networking between green groups and organisations working on climate was very infrequent. At a green summit which invited groups and individuals working in their communities to come together, a consortium of individuals decided to approach the Scottish Communities Climate Action Network (SCCAN) to offer their support devising a Climate Action Hub for the Borders. A steering group was formed, which included the Southern Uplands Partnership, an established and respected sustainable development charity. It was agreed by the group that the Southern Uplands Partnership was best placed to host the new Hub, which became known as Scottish Borders Climate Action Network (SBCAN).

SBCAN’s work programme is guided by an Advisory Group, including members of the original Steering group, and continues to be managed and delivered by the Southern Uplands Partnership. SBCAN currently has three members of staff: a project lead, a community development lead and a communications & events officer.

The Hub initially experienced challenges, particularly in trying to align the expectations of some members of the founding steering group with the practicalities and responsibilities of employing and managing staff and working within an annual funding cycle. The Hub initially had to navigate issues with staff retention and capacity, rooted in funding instability. Despite these difficulties, interviews with a range of stakeholders provided strong evidence of impact across the Hub’s key thematic areas.

Delivery model

The Scottish Borders is a large, predominantly rural region with a wide geographical spread of small communities, ranging from industrial towns to small villages, along with sparse public transport links. This has provided challenges for community groups in establishing consistent relationships with other community groups across the region.

The Hub has aimed, therefore, to become the central facilitator of a climate network, providing an umbrella for existing positive environmental and sustainability work across the Borders, bringing organisations and individuals together to grow, share ideas and learning, and collaborate on projects. It has also provided additional funding, not only to support existing organisations, but to support the growth of new initiatives, such as youth groups.

“It's helped us link up with other groups that we potentially wouldn't have even known existed, because you get caught in your own little bubble of what you're doing and you don't venture outwards, especially when, in winter time is our busiest period. So, I know about, Abundant Borders, for example. And they were very active in establishing the Climate Hub as well. So we've been able to link up with them, we've been able to link up with Berwickshire Swap, which is about recycling clothes.”

In the first period after inception, the Hub team worked with their advisory group and community networks to identify areas within existing climate activity where there were gaps or where there was an opportunity to provide additional funding or support. It was decided that the Hub should work thematically across areas of particular place-based relevance to the Borders region, where they could add value. These themes are currently: energy, food and farming, youth action, people & place, active travel, biodiversity, and health.

Engaging the farming community on climate issues

Engaging the farming community has been a key success of SBCAN, helping involve a group previously underrepresented in local climate discussions.

Through the Borders Food Forum, established by Scottish Borders Council and Abundant Borders, the Hub identified that farmers, land workers and food producers were not being effectively engaged. In response, the Hub built relationships with the farming community through respectful, practical conversations focused on sustainable farming and business resilience rather than climate-focused language.

This led to the creation of Farming for 2045, a farmer-led group supporting knowledge sharing and collaboration on sustainable farming practices. The group organises farm-based events and workshops, including support for farmers navigating changes to the Scottish Government’s Basic Payment Scheme. Framing sustainability as beneficial for both farm finances and the environment proved particularly effective.

“It was helping farmers, crofters, smallholders apply for grant funding based on and undertaking environmental surveys. The event was based on the idea that sustainability and profitability go hand in hand and there's this emphasis that it works for finances as well as the environment. So I think that approach has been quite successful and it's quite good that [Hub staff member] is respected in the farming community as well. I think that's essential.”

The Hub also identified a two-way stigma, with some farmers and environmental organisations viewing farming and climate action as incompatible. Avoiding jargon and focusing on practical outcomes helped build trust and encourage participation.

“People get defensive. And I think it's about a lot about wording. Wording seems to be a really contentious issue, even so much as the Borders Forest Trust saying that the loss of trees is from sheep raising rather than grazing. That can be something that turns people off straight away”.

Farming for 2045 is now a subgroup of the Borders Food Forum, with representatives from five local farms contributing to regional climate and food planning, including the Good Food Plan. Its farmer-led structure has helped ensure local ownership, collaboration and long-term sustainability.

“There's always this real attitude thing that is blocking way forward. So I think it's an achievement that we're existing in that space and trying to develop that those relationships.”

To support future activity, the Hub partnered with Propagate to secure funding from the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund, enabling continued farm visits, events and support for the group.

Facilitating youth climate action

In further engagement with underrepresented groups, SBCAN has also focused thematically on facilitating young people in the Borders to take climate action. This strand of activity came about from concern that volunteer-based organisations in the Borders were lacking a next generation of young people who might take over voluntary activity. Environmental groups in the Borders lacked a strong representation of young people and were not sure how to engage them.

“I think a lot of young people are engaged in and have knowledge about the climate crisis and just don't have roots to take action or know what to do about it. So, and we recognise that nationally and globally, there's an issue with young people being marginalised and not being able to have a say in decision making and in climate in particular, that that's causing a lot of anxiety and there's a lot of figures out there about how bad that is for young people.”

The Hub has therefore approached and worked with a multitude of youth-based organisations in the Borders, including schools, charities and third sector working with young people and young people with additional support needs.

It was also clear that there were young people that were individually engaged, or part of eco groups at school, but they were not connected with other young people to form a more collective voice. Collaborations have therefore been established with Youth Borders, attending their meetings and utilising their network of youth organisations to deliver climate action training to young people. The Hub has also established a climate network across all schools in the Borders through an annual youth gathering, which brought together young people from each school to discuss and raise awareness of the issues affecting them and to encourage knowledge exchange.

“I don't think, for instance, Eyemouth high school students would never have had the opportunity really to talk to their peers in Hawick, for instance. I don't think [that would have happened] without that facilitation.”

SBCAN have also targeted specific grants at youth-based projects. Over 2024 -2025, SBCAN awarded over £30,000 of funding through a targeted Youth Climate Action Fund towards youth-led projects. This enabled 55 youth-led projects to take place, including biodiversity action, filmmaking projects, and climate-awareness summer camps. For example, the fund facilitated Berwickshire Marine Reserve to deliver a four-week Ocean and Carbon Literacy learning programme to classes at Duns and Eyemouth Primary Schools. Feedback showed that the children were engaged and enthusiastic about the project. The project has also strengthened relationships between the schools and the marine reserve.

The Hub has also hosted the Borders Youth Green Summit, bringing together young people from local secondary schools, local community members and national organisations. Discussions at the summit resulted in the innovative Borders Act for Change initiative, where the Hub provided a third round of seed funding for climate action to schools, groups and organisations. Sixty-five organisations have received funding, to enable projects, such as youth group Stow Disrupters’ (ages 6-10) series of sessions on renewable energy. The Act for Change initiative was covered by ITV news.

Looking ahead, Hub staff and stakeholders view youth work as an important part of their delivery, with potential for further expansion.

“In our advisory group, steering group, I think it would be good if we could have a wider cross-section of the population on it, for instance, a high school student or a couple of high school students.”

Engaging the community in local active travel policy

Another key success of SBCAN has been the Hub’s involvement with active travel across the Borders, as a key stakeholder in establishing the Borders Active Travel Links Forum.

The creation of the Forum was first initiated through contact with local organisation Hike & Bike Hub, Galashiels, which wanted to bring together organisations involved in some way with active travel across the Borders. SBCAN were proactive in offering an administrative and financial partnership to support this initiative, collaborating with the Hike & Bike Hub to set up the Active Travel Links Forum.

The aim of the Forum is to bring together the expertise of statutory, community and business stakeholders as a collective voice, to play a key role in shaping and informing active travel policy and logistics across the Borders region.

“We were able to bring things more like the local authority contacts and also the rest of our network as well. But they were able to bring their experience on the ground of active travel and what they saw.”

The Active Travel Links Forum is now fully established and co-hosted by Hike & Bike Hub with capacity support from the Scottish Borders Council. As of 2025, the Scottish Borders Council has implemented an Active Travel strategy. The Forum played a key role in bringing community voices into the strategy’s development.

“People are more aware of what can be done, what's available to them from the council. And they've also got more power to lobby the council. Yeah, to make change that they want because they're a bigger group and they're not just on their own.”