Group type: SCIO

Category: Resilience, Engagement, Nature

Project Description: Our objectives at TWP are to establish and maintain woodlands in Tayside for habitat restoration, enhancement of the biodiversity of Tayside and to sequester carbon as a contribution to the Scottish Government’s net zero target.

We aim to:
• Advance environmental protection and improvement
• Establish new and manage new and existing woodlands
• Connect with groups in communities across Tayside to form a network of likeminded groups
• Raise awareness of environmental issues
• Enhance biodiversity
• Create natural flood defences
• Provide opportunities for enjoyment of the countryside for communities
• Sequester carbon dioxide.

The Tree Nursery project is key to the Resilience, Engagement and Nature elements of the fund:

Currently we have the basics - a shed, a workshop and ground space for planting, along with basic facilities and a rainwater recapture facility. To enable us to produce trees that can be used by ourselves in our woodlands and that can be offered to community groups for their woodland establishment and management projects, we need to extend our rainwater capture system. this will increase the number of trees we can produce.

Trees will be grown through the engagement of local people to gather seed, grow locally sourced trees and then plant them at their various sites in the Tayside area. The tree nursery will provide a source of local provenance trees for distribution throughout Tayside, either as a supply for future TWP community tree planting or as a contribution to other community woodland ventures. The Nature Scot Nature Networks initiative will require trees for hedgerow establishment throughout PKC and we would be able to provide trees FOC to appropriate groups.

Resilience - we will provide trees to enable local communities to take grassroots action to capture carbon through the establishment of woodlands. We will prioritise groups who are focused on declining existing woodland and creating new woodlands.

Engagement - we have a core team of very local very dedicated volunteers with a mix of experience and a good level of expertise. We aim to use the nursery as a facility to expand this group - offering training, group activities and children's educational opportunities. . We currently employ a freelance Development Officer who focusses on improving the opportunities we offer for community groups and young people. With the establishment of a fully functional tree nursery to use as a base, these opportunities will be easier to expand.

Nature - many of the area's woodlands - suffer from lack of management and neglect. We have taken on management of several woodlands and are managing them for resilience and for biodiversity. Active management secures their future.

Cost of living - . At no cost and no distance to travel, we, as a grassroots community organisation do all we can to support all who want to be involved in woodland creation in the Blairgowrie and Pitlochry areas.

Community Impact: We currently have a core group of 20 volunteers. We aim to recruit an additional 10 regular volunteers to this team.

Through community engagement activities we aim to work with 100 individuals over the course of a year - through community tree planting projects, "grow a tree" initiatives and work with local schools.

The benefits of this project are multiple - getting people out into the fresh air, building community engagement and increasing the understanding of the importance of local woodlands and the importance of biodiversity. Giving people a focus and a job to do. Providing hed space and time for quiet thought whilst working in a beautiful location.

Climate Change Impact: Trees are the ultimate carbon capture and storage machines. Like great carbon sinks, woods and forests absorb atmospheric carbon and lock it up for centuries. They do this through photosynthesis. The entire woodland ecosystem plays a huge role in locking up carbon, including the living wood, roots, leaves, deadwood, surrounding soils and its associated vegetation. Woodlands in the UK store 213 million tonnes of carbon. A young wood with mixed native tree species can lock up 400+ tonnes carbon per hectare in trees, roots and soil. In the UK, the value of trees for flood protection is estimated to be £6.5 billion, and £6.1 billion for urban cooling. And trees do more than just capture carbon. They also fight the cruel effects of a changing climate. They can help: prevent flooding; reduce city temperature; reduce pollution; keep soil nutrient-rich. Woods are our allies in the fight against a changing climate, yet just 13% of the UK’s land area is covered by trees (compared with an EU average of 37%). The bottom line is, we need more trees and we need to protect the ones we already have. Through creating and managing a tree nursery we provide the means for our organisation and for local people to take definite action against climate change – planting trees.

Group type: Charity

Category: Energy, Transport, Waste & Circular Economy, Resilience, Engagement

Project Description: Our project funds a storage container for the Highland Games. This eliminates repeated transport emissions, significantly reducing our carbon footprint. It cuts annual logistics costs, easing financial pressure and easing physical strain on our retired volunteers, keeping our community event affordable and accessible for all.

Community Impact: Our project will fund the purchase and installation of a 20ft secure storage container, essential for the long-term sustainability of the Highland Games- an annual event that draws over 5,000 attendees. This infrastructure will deliver measurable climate action by eliminating an estimated 100 miles of vehicle transport and 0.04 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year from event logistics. It establishes a circular economy hub by centralising resources, protecting equipment like marquees and signage from damage, extending their lifespans, and preventing waste. This reduces the need for carbon-intensive replacements and enables asset-sharing with other local organisations. Crucially, the project eases the physical burden on our dedicated team of 50+ volunteers, many of whom are retired, by simplifying setup and storage. It also cuts annual operational costs, ensuring the event remains affordable and accessible for the whole community. By securing this asset, we protect mental well-being, foster social connections, and build a more resilient, environmentally conscious community for years to come.

Climate Change Impact: Our project delivers a High climate impact by creating a circular economy hub, drastically reducing waste. Secure storage prevents weather damage to marquees, signage, and equipment, extending their lifespans for years and avoiding the carbon-intensive manufacturing of replacements. This eliminates waste to landfill and enables resource-sharing with other groups, multiplying the positive environmental effect. The impact is compounded by creating a circular economy hub. The secure storage allows for proper maintenance, drastically extending the lifespan of marquees, signage, and equipment, which reduces waste and the carbon cost of manufacturing replacements. It also enables us to share these resources with other local groups, preventing their need for carbon-intensive travel or new purchases. This direct intervention decarbonises the operational core of our community's largest event.

Group type: Charity

Category: Energy, Resilience

Project Description: A Net-Zero Sustainable Future for Rattray Hall Community Hub will reduce carbon emission by transitional to a zero carbon building and significantly lower emissions and contribute to a healthier environment.

Decarbonising can lead to better air quality by replacing fossil fuel systems and reducing respiratory issues. (Rattray Hall Community Hub has already installed Air Ventilation monitors in all rooms).

Lower Energy Costs - lowering making more cost effective use of community spaces

Healthier Spaces - Can enhance the health of building occupants by improving air quality.

Economic and Social Benefits - the shift towards decarbonisation can foster a sense of community around sustainability efforts as part of the Climate Change Challenge.

Energy Saving Assessment has been undertaken and there is potentially a saving of 71% on heating costs.

Community Impact:

>Currently People benefiting - 200 weekly
>Volunteers = 40
>Improved Mental Health through access to services Grief Hub, Social Clubs etc
>Improved access to low cost affordable food addressing food insecurity/poverty
>Improved access to exercising
>Improved inclusiveness
>Improved community cohesion
>Improved warm space
>Reduction in isolation and loneliness
>Increase in local community cohesion and engagement

Climate Change Impact: Contributing to a more sustainable and resilient future by improving immediate climate outcomes reducing air pollution, lowering energy costs and enhancing public health.

Group type: Charity

Category: Waste & Circular Economy, Engagement, Nature

Project Description: In November 2023 Wisecraft sadly lost access to a neighbouring green space; an area which had been utilised by our clients and volunteers since 2013. Plans commenced to develop this area into an outdoor eatery and bar by a local landowner, having a detrimental impact on Wisecraft’s surrounding environment and the clients who worked tremendously hard to maintain this beautiful space. To maintain our green approach and establish new client led opportunities, we reduced the size of our car park and created a green space for growing fruit, vegetables and wildflowers. To help insects thrive we established seasonal flowering plants and in doing so, took a fully organic approach. We reused and upcycled materials within our joinery department to build new planters. Lack of space and gardening expertise was consistently shared as one of the biggest barriers for clients engaging in horticulture activity. Creating this supportive space has helped remove this barrier and motivate clients towards considering their green approaches at home; demonstrating how much can be achieved in a restricted area. To account for condensing the car parking area we encouraged employee car-sharing.

We aim to continue this garden project for the next 12 months – expanding and strengthening the work already achieved with help from The Green Living Fund (2024-2025). Funds will be utilised to establish a vertical, living wall; further increasing our biodiversity efforts. Living walls act as a stepping stone to enable wildlife, particularly pollinators such as bees, to move between isolated green spaces in urban environments. Re-used pallets and upcycled materials will be utilised to establish the framework for this development. Our joinery department will create insect hotels for this living wall, which are particularly beneficial for solitary bees, ladybugs and lacewings. Through the involvement of our in-house joinery and creative departments, costs will be kept minimal and will ensure client involvement in the creation of these structures. Additional insect hotels will be created for clients to take home and extend biodiversity goals within the broader Blairgowrie and Glens area. Planters will be re-filled and re-used with growing crops, which can be utilised within our kitchen space. This engagement will increase our clients’ awareness of healthy eating, food sources and sustainable practices through hands on experiences – a ‘farm to fork’ approach.

By helping our client and volunteer community to grow produce on site, engage in accessible cooking groups and enhance skills to grow/cook at home, we are also supporting with the cost of living crisis. Gardening skills help manage cost of living by enabling clients to grow their own produce and herbs. Beyond food, encouraging DIY projects and upcycling helps to further save money. The simple act of being outdoors and with like minded peers can help relieve some of the stresses of everyday life.

Community Impact: Approximately 55 registered clients will have opportunity to engage with (and enjoy) our greenspace over the 12 month period. Approximately 7 volunteers will be involved in the delivery of the project. Newly referred clients will have opportunity to partake in this space as an activity engagement option for Wisecraft. Being within green spaces provides significant health benefits, acting as a powerful stress reliever, mood booster and a way to build life skills to aid overall satisfaction and wellbeing. This is evidenced in a larger scale, within our work at The Walled Garden in Perth.

Climate Change Impact: In the face of rising temperatures, intensified rainfall and declining biodiversity, urban environments are under pressure to adapt. The loss of our large garden space in 2023 has motivated us further to be part of that change. Among nature based solutions, the concept of a living/vertical wall stands out as a powerful and space saving option which directly contributes to climate change adaptation. Backed by data, benefits include cooling urban spaces (by ~30%) and supporting biodiversity (~2-3 times more pollinators compared to bare walls). Surrounded by many residential and commercial buildings, Wisecraft aims to host a thriving green infrastructure for our community to enjoy.

Group type: Constituted Community Group

Category: Energy, Engagement

Project Description: Annual Switch-On and Sleigh Week Fundraiser for the Community, providing a highlight for the festive season in the town. Upgrading of Santa Sleigh with a new trailer and to use an inverter based system for power to provide lighting and sound.
New LED lighting to replace existing lights requiring replacement

Community Impact: The Whole Community of Blairgowrie & Rattray would benefit as we bring a lot of cheer during the build up to the festive season

Climate Change Impact: Changing from a currently Petrol Powered system to one provided by power from a vehicle/battery system will allow us to reduce the emissions generated when running the sleigh during the events and fundraising activities. Whilst still allowing us to continue to provide enjoyment to the community.

Group type: Charity

Category: Waste & Circular Economy

Project Description: Currently we share premises with Wellmeadow ABC for our main group and other activities which has increased the footfall on the building massively. The toilet facilities we have are portable and with the sheer numbers we have between both groups is putting a strain on this which means we are going to have to get more portaloos which means more cost and more emptying which brings more transport back and forward to maintain. We would like to be able to upgrade the drains to be able to fit a permanent toilet which although will be more expensive will save all the maintainence of portaloos.
We are also looking to reduce waste by having a water fountain installed, between both groups we go through a lot of bottled water which comes with a lot of plastic waste and high costs.

Receiving funding for these would make a big impact on the damage to the environment

Community Impact: Over 100, the wider community benefits because it allows both clubs to operate out of the premises for long term. Both groups are improving health and wellbeing. For lots of the men that come along to Mantalk routine is important and this has made possible by being allowed to use the premises. By adding the extra strain it may not be possible for us to continue to use it as much as we do which would be massively detrimental to the men in our area.

The water fountain is less important on our ability to share however it would reduce waste and cost massively in the long run

Climate Change Impact: Having the drainage to have a toilet installed will have a lasting impact by reducing lorries coming regular to empty toilets and maintain them. The water cooler will allow for both groups to use refillable bottles and significantly reduce plastic waste.

Group type: Not for profit company

Category: Energy

Project Description: Help us upgrade to energy-saving LEDs! This decarbonisation project keeps our sports ground open free of charge during winter for all girls, boys, ladies, and gents. It dramatically boosts junior and senior training time and increases community access and sustainability.

The Floodlight Project is designed to achieve two primary outcomes: significantly boost community participation and underpin our commitment to social equality. The scope involves replacing outdated sodium lighting with high-efficiency LED technology, allowing the sports ground to be safely operational during dark winter evenings for both our Junior and senior Teams as well as our girls & Ladies Teams and during the summer months into the end of September our “Free for all Touch Rugby evenings” which is open to all ages genders and abilities. This infrastructure upgrade ensures year-round accessibility for the entire community, directly benefiting participants spanning all ages, from our youngest mini-rugby members (3 years) through to our most senior social players (73 years and beyond).

Crucially, this investment aligns with the club's ethos to engender community spirit and deliver the SRU Sport for All initiative by permanently eliminating financial barriers to participation; the sports ground will remain free of charge for all community training and activities. By extending hours and making sport accessible without cost, the project will tangibly promote healthy well-being and positive mental well-being, combating social isolation and providing a safe, structured outlet for all ages, genders, and backgrounds. The new lighting guarantees essential training time for our junior, women's, and senior teams, driving growth and inclusion across the board.

Community Impact:

100+ people will benefit from the project. Many Club members and committee will be involved in helping assisting with any works they are competent to do.

1. Physical Longevity and Access

The core benefit is the switch to LED lighting, which is an infrastructure asset with a typical operational lifespan of 5-10 times longer than the sodium lights they replace. This means the community gains guaranteed access to a safe, well-lit facility for many years to come.

How we know: The physical lifespan and reliability of commercial LED sports lighting are established technical standards. The permanent extension of training hours into the dark winter months—which is our main goal—becomes a lasting reality, not a temporary fix.

2. Financial Sustainability

The project delivers permanent financial relief to the club. LED systems consume drastically less electricity than sodium lighting, leading to significant, ongoing savings on utility bills year after year.

How we know: We can project the financial savings based on the documented energy reduction of the new LED fixtures versus the current consumption rates. These saved operating funds can then be permanently reinvested into maintaining the free-of-charge sports activities, ensuring financial barriers never return.

3. Community and Social Impact

The sustained ability to offer free community sport for all ages (3 to 73) is the most lasting social benefit. The new infrastructure permanently reinforces our club's ethos of social equality and well-being.

How we know: The longevity of the lighting system removes the main constraint (darkness) preventing winter training. By maintaining the free provision, you permanently support the SRU Sport for All initiative and provide a stable, safe environment for mental and physical well-being for future generations of players. We also remove the current issue we have with Light pollution from the existing Lighting which will benefit the neighbouring properties either side and across the road from the Sports Ground and engender the community spirit the club promotes.

Climate Change Impact:

The switch to LED lighting will have a direct, quantifiable, and high-impact effect on reducing our carbon footprint, serving as a cornerstone of our wider energy-saving commitment as part of our essential club upgrades.

Direct Impact: Quantification of Lighting Savings.

Our project involves replacing approximately 50 existing fluorescent and incandescent fixtures with modern, energy-efficient LED lighting. Based on typical energy-saving data for community facilities, we project the following quantifiable impact:

• Energy Consumption Reduction: The switch to LED lighting is estimated to reduce the electricity used for lighting by approximately 65%. This translates to an estimated annual saving of 8,500 kWh (Kilowatt-hours) of electricity.
• Carbon Emission Reduction: This annual energy saving of 8,500 kWh will directly prevent the release of approximately 1.8 tonnes of CO.2 equivalent into the atmosphere each year.*
• Cost Savings: The reduction in energy use will save the club an estimated £1,500 annually on electricity bills, allowing us to reinvest these funds into further sustainability initiatives for the club.

Enabling Impact: Integrated Climate Action and Waste Reduction

This project is a crucial component of our strategic plan to modernise the club and demonstrate leadership in climate action to our community.

• Holistic Energy Efficiency: The LED installation forms part of a larger plan to radically reduce energy consumption at the club, most notably through replacing the old, inefficient water immersion tank with a modern, energy-saving water heater. This measure is specifically designed to eliminate significant wasted energy and further reduce the club’s carbon footprint.
• Wider Upgrade Context: These energy-saving measures are being integrated into our changing room upgrade, demonstrating that sustainability is central to the future vision of the facility, ensuring long-term low-carbon operation for decades to come.
• Minimising Waste: LEDs have a lifespan of up to 25,000 hours, drastically reducing the environmental footprint associated with frequent replacement cycles, including manufacturing, transport, and disposal waste.
• Community Demonstration: The entire upgrade acts as a visible, high-impact demonstration of sustainable facility management to the hundreds of local people who use our club weekly, encouraging them to adopt similar energy-saving measures in their own homes and businesses.

* This figure is based on the 2024 UK Grid Carbon intensity factor (approx. 0.21KG CO.2e per kWh)

Group type: Charity

Category: Waste and Circular Economy, Engagement

Project Description: School Uniform Bank
We are looking to secure funding to run our School Uniform Bank throughout the year and our Back to School and Nursery project over the summer.
School Uniform can cost families between £150-£200 per child whereas it only costs us £27.60 per pack to provide nearly everything a child needs. Our project would save our community over £225,000 in school uniform costs which then allows families to redistribute these savings into other household bills, keeping houses warm, children fed and our community thriving.
We have run our Back to School project for the last three years offering free applications to everyone living in Perth and Kinross and attending a school.
2023 – 300 2024 – 647 2025 - 1,034
We have seen a dramatic increase in applications each year, which not only indicates the need for free uniform support, but also our community’s commitment to reducing their fast fashion purchases.
Social Flock has been collecting pre-loved donations from our community across Perth and Kinross for three years. We would like to be able to open applications throughout the year for school uniform to support the ongoing need of growing children and families. Despite receiving 1,003 Back to School pack applications over summer, we continue to receive multiple requests for uniform from individuals, PKC service providers, charities and other community support networks.
In our Back to School packs we provide three days of school uniform, two days of PE kit, a school bag, a pair of school shoes and an additional extra each applicant can select for themselves ranging from school socks to a water bottle.
In our Back to Nursery Packs we provide 5 days of mix and match outfits: 5 bottoms, 5 tops, 5 jumpers and a pair of shoes. We offer 2 additional extras such as sun hats, hair ties, socks, vests and pants.
What else do we offer as part of this service?
Personalised Packs – to reduce waste and ensure the clothing we are redistributing will be used fully we don’t just ask for clothing and footwear sizes. We ask for sensory requirements, a style guide, colour choices and characters that children would love to have on their school bag. Each pack is catered to exactly what each child would like not just what they need.
Free doorstep delivery to each applicant to remove barriers to access across Perth and Kinross including access to travel in rural areas, disability and mental health issues which would limit access to our central Perth Hub.
Community Pop-Up Shops allow people to visit our event and ‘Pick Their Own Pack’ which increases dignity for everyone whilst also promoting wearing preloved, thus reducing the stigma around this within the community.
Community-based Collections – working in collaboration with other community groups, businesses and charities we have run collection points across Perthshire to enable our community to pick up their packs in their local area. Removing emissions from delivery and building community-based action.

Community Impact: Over 3,000 people will be positively impacted by our School Uniform Bank throughout 2026, covering benefits to cost-of-living, mental health and wellbeing, community activism and environmental awareness. Not only do pupils benefit from our packs, but everyone in their home. Households can redistribute uniform savings to other essential household bills like food, heating and fuel costs. Our applicants have told us our packs reduce stress in the household, support positive mental health and wellbeing for adults, excitement for returning to school & nursery for the children, alongside providing items they would otherwise not be able to afford. We work with a team of around 50 volunteers. We have regular volunteers coming into our Hub to organise donations, make up packs, and deliver packs to families across Perth and Kinross. We have volunteers who offer other essential roles for delivering all our projects such as washing and mending. We make sure any volunteering role is free for our volunteers, because we know we couldn’t run Social Flock without their contribution of time and energy. We offer travel costs, provide sustenance throughout their volunteer time. Our Delivery Drivers are provided with fuel reimbursement for their journeys. Our menders and washers are provided with specific supplies anything else they would need to support their volunteering. Keeping volunteering free to our community allows more people to support our services in a way that is accessible to them.

Climate Change Impact: Social Flock perfectly combines anti-poverty and pro-climate action for our Perth and Kinross Community. On a monthly basis Social Flock receives around 1 ton of clothing donations coming directly from our community across the 12 Perth and Kinross wards. We are redistributing between 1 – 1.5 tons of clothing to families across Perth and Kinross. We have also worked with different groups to run workshops to increase engagement with the aim to reuse and recycle clothing and build skills. We partner with AK Bell’s Lend and Mend hub to repair and redesign clothing ensuring we keep items in circulation for as long as possible. We are committed increasing our community’s knowledge on the environmental impact that fast fashion has. In 2025 we launched our Rural School Uniform Climate Challenge. Schools collected donation of preloved clothing and circulated our Back to School application, contributing to their Eco-School Status. In 2026 we would like to expand this into more schools across Perth and Kinross, offering complimentary workshops to further educate pupils on the environmental impact of wearing preloved clothing, embracing changes in their clothing and shopping habits and becoming Clothing Climate Activists. We see an increase in families returning their clothing to us building a cyclical clothing economy. By ensuring our Donation Stations are open and accessible to families across Perth and Kinross we can reduce re-useable clothing being put into our landfills.