Run 4 Wales Climate Action Fund helps three sustainability projects
Run 4 Wales has helped several projects with their environmental initiatives this year thanks to donations from its Climate Action Fund.
A donation pot of £21,000 was split out in January between Size of Wales, Green Squirrel’s Railway Gardens Project and Canolfan Waunfawr.
It has led to the recipients being given a helping hand in achieving some of their sustainability goals for 2024.
Size of Wales, a charity which works to grow trees and protect at least 2 million hectares of tropical forests (an area the size of Wales), is using the funds to assist with two vital projects.
Anna Harris, Forest Projects Coordinator at Size of Wales, said: “A big thank you to Run 4 Wales.
The valuable donation from the Climate Action Fund has been allocated to two forest partners. Both community-led initiatives are supporting local and Indigenous people to protect and restore their tropical forests, landscapes that play such a crucial role amidst the climate and biodiversity crises.”
The Regrow Borneo project aims to restore tropical forest through research-led replanting that is community-based, ethical and transparent, restoring one healthy hectare at a time. Meanwhile, in the Peruvian Amazon, the Wampís, an Indigenous Nation are supported to protect their territory and community from threats such as illegal logging, gold mining, and oil extraction.
The fund also enabled community interest company, Green Squirrel, to build a community shelter at their Railway Gardens in Splott.
Railway Gardens offers a welcoming green space for community action in Cardiff – including helping to reduce the effects of poverty, social isolation and climate impacts.
Becca Clark, Director at Green Squirrel, said: “Our gardens are where climate and community meet and the shelter has been an absolute gamechanger for the site, helping to make it safer and more welcoming.”
The shelter has so far been used for a wealth of activity including a community summer super, eco market, after school club as well as the base for lots of other meetings and socials.
Finally, the third recipient of the 2023 fund was Canolfan Waunfawr, a charity that serves the villages of Waunfawr and Betws Garmon, providing them with a space for social events, school shows, meetings, events and parties.
Through the Climate Action Fund it was able to install solar panels over the summer.
Carys Owen, Canolfan Waunfawr Treasurer and Secretary, said: “Thanks to the Climate Action Fund we have started our net zero journey, and we also hope the solar panels on the Ganolfan will stimulate others to invest in their own homes and properties.”
Run 4 Wales set up its Climate Action Fund three years ago to help balance the impact that hosting major events has on the environment.
Funds are generated through Run 4 Wales events, as well as contributions from event organisers, participants and event partners – Brecon Carreg and Rubicon. It is also made up of donations from those who opt-out of receiving a finishers t-shirt.
Gareth Ludkin, Head of Sustainability at Run 4 Wales, said: “We’re so pleased to see the fantastic projects and initiatives our Climate Action Fund has contributed to this year.
“At Run 4 Wales we’re committed to reducing the environmental impact of our events and aim to become a climate positive events company by 2040 – our Climate Action Fund is just one of the ways we’re hoping to achieve this.
“Our 2024 event season has now come to an end which means we’ll now be looking to allocate our next round of donations from our Climate Action Fund and we’d love to hear from initiatives who’d like to apply.
“We’re so thankful to all our partners and participants who have contributed to the fund so far and we’d urge all our future runners to think about whether they need their race t-shirt or would like to help bolster the Climate Action Fund instead.”
Run 4 Wales will be looking to allocate the next round of funding, worth more than £15,000. For organisations, projects and initiatives that would like to be considered for funding contact Gareth Ludkin, Run 4 Wales’ Head of Sustainability, on Gareth.ludkin@run4wales.org
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