•At the Full Council meeting on 14 Feb 2020 £200,000 of revenue funding from the new homes bonus and future dividends from West Mercia Energy operational surplus was allocated as a new dedicated climate reserve.
•A further allocation of £248,614 was added to the reserve in October 2021 from the 2019/20 WME operational surplus and the current forecast for the 2020/21 operational surplus is £165k which will be allocated to the reserve in October 2022.
•The grant scheme will be administered by the Council’s Delegated Grants team. The grant administration costs will be funded within the £220,000 budget allocation.
•£220,000 has been allocated from the climate reserve to establish a new Climate and Nature grant scheme to empower local community groups, organisations and parish councils to apply for funding, which the council will consider and award, to deliver carbon reduction and ecological enhancement projects across the county.
•The climate and Nature Grant Scheme was launched in September 2021.