6 October 2026

Community groups across South Cambridgeshire are continuing to drive climate action, with the District Council's Zero Carbon Communities Grant scheme having now awarded more than £1 million to local projects over eight grant cycles.

Community groups across South Cambridgeshire are continuing to drive climate action, with the District Council's Zero Carbon Communities Grant scheme having now awarded more than £1 million to local projects over eight grant cycles.

The Zero Carbon Communities (ZCC) grants support community-led initiatives in South Cambridgeshire that help reduce carbon emissions, enhance biodiversity and encourage local action on climate change.

Now in its eighth round, the scheme has awarded more than £171,450 this year to 14 local groups across the district, from a total of 35 applications. This means that, since the ZCC grant was established in 2019, it has provided a total of £1,026,608 to community groups that are working to tackle the climate and nature emergency on a local level.

This year’s highest grant award went to Cambridge Sustainable Food CIC, which received £19,457 to establish a South Cambridgeshire Sustainable Food Partnership. The initiative will bring together organisations and communities to develop a climate-focused food action plan, promoting healthier and more sustainable food systems while encouraging long-term behaviour change.

Claire Ives, Senior Project and Operations Manager of Cambridge Sustainable Food, said: "Cambridge Sustainable food is delighted to have been awarded this funding, as it will allow us to increase the impact and longevity of our work in South Cambridgeshire. Strong cross-sectoral partnerships are vital to addressing the long-term systemic causes of food and climate issues. In allowing us to build and mobilise an effective network around practical action, this project will improve the local food system in South Cambs for both residents and for the environment - it will inspire immediate behaviour change, whilst also providing a strong partnership and strategic framework for future work on this critical environmental issue."

 Additional projects that have received funding this time are:

• Orchard Park Community Council - £18,000                                                        The community centre will receive energy-efficiency upgrades, including low-carbon heating and ventilation systems to replace a gas fired boiler. This will improve usability and enable cost savings to be used for community activities.
•     The Liberation Cycle - £18,000                                                                              This Steeple Morden-based charity refurbishes unwanted and discarded bicycles and redistributes them to people experiencing transport poverty. The grant will support bike collections, refurbishments, maintenance training and repair workshops, helping more residents access sustainable, affordable transport.
• Cambourne Town Council - £15,550                                                            Cambourne Town Council will install solar panels and battery storage at the Greenbank community building, which is being transformed into a hub for Scouts, Guides, community groups and residents.
• Wysing Arts Centre - £15,000                                                                        Wysing Arts Centre, based near Bourn, will use the grant to improve the energy efficiency of its site by insulating and re-glazing three buildings used as artists’ studios, learning spaces and a recording studio. The project will reduce carbon emissions and energy costs, helping the charity reinvest savings into free workshops, skills development opportunities and projects for local young people.
• Cambridge Carbon Footprint (Repair Café) - £15,000                                    Cambridge Carbon Footprint will use the grant to strengthen and expand South Cambridgeshire’s Repair Café network by supporting existing groups and helping establish new ones. The project will encourage repair and reuse, reduce waste and provide residents with opportunities to engage in wider sustainability initiatives.
• Cambridge Carbon Footprint (Open Eco Homes) - £15,000                        Cambridge Carbon Footprint will deliver its Open Eco Homes programme, featuring home tours, thermal imaging, community pilots and talks on topics including retrofit, energy efficiency and home improvements. The project aims to help residents make informed choices about reducing their carbon footprint at home.
• Harston Village Hall Trust - £12,500                                                              Harston Village Hall Trust will install solar panels and battery storage to generate renewable energy for the community hall. The project is expected to meet most of the building’s electricity needs, helping keep the hall affordable and reducing its environmental impact.
• Cambridge Past, Present and Future - £11,900                                                     The project will help create eight acres of new habitat at Coton Reserve as part of an innovative wetland project with Anglian Water. The scheme will improve water quality, support biodiversity and demonstrate nature-based solutions to environmental challenges.
• Comberton Village Institute Trust - £9,338                                                         The grant will fund solar panels and battery storage at Comberton Village Hall to reduce reliance on grid electricity.
• Cam Valley Forum (CVF) - £6,000                                                                         The grant will fund an educational film to raise awareness of water conservation and local water challenges, and present practical solutions. The aim is to help protect the River Cam and its tributaries, for the benefit of the local community and the environment. 
• Horningsea Parish Council - £5,540.17                                                                    The Parish Council will restore around 85 metres of community hedgerow, improving biodiversity, carbon storage and wildlife habitats.
• Cambridge Retrofit Hub Charitable Community Benefit Society Ltd - £5,171.83  The grant will support retrofit plans for village halls, helping communities reduce energy use and carbon emissions.
• Fenland Squash Club, known as Swavesey Squash Club - £5,000             Swavesey Squash Club will install a solar panel system at its community sports facility, helping to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions. Savings will be reinvested into keeping the club affordable and accessible while supporting activities for members of all ages and abilities.

Rosie Cooper, Director at Wysing Arts Centre, said: "Wysing Arts Centre is absolutely delighted to receive funding that will enable us to undertake critical repairs to our artist studio buildings, in particular our Strawbale Studio – an experimental eco-build that has, for almost twenty years, been home to a thriving community of artists making a significant contribution to the cultural life of our region. We’re incredibly grateful for South Cambridgeshire District Council’s ongoing support of Wysing’s efforts to become greener and more sustainable and look forward to making the Strawbale’s future more secure."

Cllr Laurence Damary-Homan, Lead Cabinet Member for Environment at South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “Reaching the £1 million mark for the Zero Carbon Communities Grant is a significant milestone. The scheme is empowering communities across South Cambridgeshire to deliver practical projects that tackle climate change, support nature and make a lasting difference locally. The success of the grant highlights what can be achieved when communities are given the support to turn ambitious ideas into action.”

 For more information on the Zero Carbon Community grant scheme, including how your community can get involved in future rounds, visit the South Cambridgeshire District Council ZCC webpage, or email zcc@scambs.gov.uk

The latest round of ZCC grants were recommended at the meeting of the Council’s Grant Advisory Committee on Thursday 24 September – with the awards then confirmed by the Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Healthy Communities, Cllr Dr. Lisa Redrup.