£300k for schemes to improve the environment

West Midlands mayor Andy Street with Richard Lindsay and Kevin Shoemake from Birmingham County Football Association

A crayfish breeding programme and a clothes repair scheme are among eight environmental improvement projects set to share £300,000.

The money has come from the first round of grants from the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) £1m community environment fund.

The fund to support grassroots-level "green" projects was set up using legacy money from the Commonwealth Games in 2022, said WMCA.

Other schemes receiving backing include Birmingham County Football Association's plan to train up "climate champions" at local clubs, and a new project in Wolverhampton to sell surplus building materials that would otherwise go to landfill.

'Collective difference'

“We must all take responsibility to protect and improve our wonderful and valuable natural environment," said Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair.

Putting more money into grassroots projects would "collectively make a difference to so many people’s lives," he added.

The eight schemes receiving a share of £300,000 are:

Buglife, The Midlands Crayfish Partnership to map crayfish populations and boost populations of native species.

Saathi House, Aston to train 90 women as environment champions to promote sustainable living practices in the local community.

Make Good Arts, Sandwell to grow its Repair and Share project by providing sewing machines to help people mend clothes rather than throw them away.

Caldmore Village Festival, Walsall to turn Caldmore Community Garden into a nature, environment and climate change education centre.

'Re-use hub'

BCFA is set to train up 10 football "climate champions" and get 500 club volunteers involved in reducing waste and energy usage.

Carriers of Hope, Coventry will reuse essential items unwanted by others and provide them to people in poverty.

Wildside Activity Centre, Wolverhampton will teach schoolchildren about the natural world.

ReBuild Site CIC / All Saints Action Network, Wolverhampton is to set up the region’s first re-use hub, where surplus materials from building sites will be sold on to local people at a reduced cost, to avoid them going to landfill.