Home/News/Climate FORTH: £175,000 National Lottery grant empowers Inner Forth area to confront climate change

Climate FORTH: £175,000 National Lottery grant empowers Inner Forth area to confront climate change

Inner Forth Futures (IFF) has been given the green light to begin development of Climate FORTH: an ambitious, estuary-spanning climate resilience project made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF).

The NLHF development grant supports the first phase of the planned project, through which Climate FORTH (Furthering Our Resilience Through Heritage) hopes to deliver a range of innovative pilots to demonstrate the power of local heritage as a vital driving force in climate adaptation.

Over the next eight months, the project team will consult with Inner Forth communities to blueprint new ways of engaging with the changing landscape. Local voices will directly shape the final proposal for the second phase, which will be put forward for funding in November 2022.

Key activities to be explored through the development of the Climate FORTH project include the formation of a Youth Advisory Panel on local climate adaptation, the piloting of local resilience plans with communities in the area, the enhancement of sustainable travel links to support landscape exploration, and the use of Virtual Reality (VR) to bring the Inner Forth’s changing coastlines to life.

The Inner Forth Futures partnership is made up of RSPB Scotland, NatureScot, Falkirk Council, Stirling Council, Clackmannanshire Council, Fife Council, Green Action Trust, and Sustrans. Historic Environment Scotland act as an advisory body.

Dave Beaumont, RSPB Operations Director South Scotland and Chair of the Inner Forth Futures Partnership Board welcomed the news: “RSPB Scotland is pleased that the longstanding Inner Forth Futures partnership has been successful in securing NLHF funding to develop new work across this landscape. Inner Forth communities and heritage face every-growing pressures due to impacts of a changing climate, economic change, and ongoing recovery from the covid-19 pandemic. Climate FORTH will respond to the local needs of communities and place and put historic heritage, habitats and cultural heritage at the heart of pilot activities that seek to support resilience and inspire action towards Scotland’s net zero targets.”

The planned project range stretches from Stirling to Blackness and Rosyth, and encompasses some of Scotland’s most economically depressed areas. It aims to respond directly to local opportunities and pressures by co-designing climate solutions that benefit residents and enhance life on the Forth.

NatureScot area officer Isla Williams said: “We are delighted that Inner Forth Futures have secured National Lottery Heritage Funding for the development phase of the Climate FORTH project.  We look forward to working with the Climate FORTH team to develop the project and help ensure more nature-rich, climate resilient communities across the Forth.”

Cosmo Blake, Network Engagement Manager at Sustrans Scotland commented: “Sustrans is delighted to continue our support for Inner Forth Futures. We need to make it easier for everyone in Stirling, Falkirk, Clackmannanshire and Fife to leave the car at home and walk, wheel or cycle for more journeys. The Inner Forth Futures partnership is a great example of how we can come together to achieve this. We look forward to continuing to support all of our partners in making a positive difference throughout the Inner Forth Area.”

Emilie Wadsworth, Director of Development at the Green Action Trust, said: “The Green Action Trust has been privileged to work with the IFF partnership for several years and we are delighted that the partnership has secured National Lottery Heritage funding for the next phase of the Climate FORTH project. We are proud to part of this initiative to pilot approaches that can enable people and nature develop resilience not just in the Inner Forth area but across central Scotland and beyond.”

Thanks to players of the National Lottery, the first phase of the project is now underway. With the community’s support, the life, heritage and landscapes of the Inner Forth can be prepared to meet the challenges of climate change with a full range of practical, ambitious, locally-led solutions.

Further information about Inner Forth Futures partnership and Climate FORTH project development phase can be found on the website: www.innerforthlandscape.co.uk

Children visiting Kinneil Lagoons, Falkirk. RSPB.

Sunrise over the Inner Forth mudflats at Grangemouth. RSPB

 
Image Attributions

Sunrise over the Inner Forth mudflats at Grangemouth. David Hunt/RSPB

Children visiting Kinneil Lagoons. Chloe Wells/RSPB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes to Editors

  • Inner Forth Futures is a partnership of RSPB Scotland (lead agency), NatureScot, Falkirk Council, Stirling Council, Clackmannanshire Council, Fife Council, Green Action Trust, and Sustrans. Historic Environment Scotland act as an advisory body. Other organisations contribute knowledge, subject expertise and links to the community through working groups and other meetings.
  • The Climate FORTH project covers areas of Stirling, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Fife that comprise the Inner Forth. The boundary of the project area follows features in the landscape and longstanding administrative boundaries. This includes both sides of the estuary including the estuary itself, the inter-tidal zone, floodplain, coastal margins and settlements.
  • The Climate FORTH project has a vision to show how a new future can be built for this place and its people. Despite being dramatically shaped by its industrial past, facing the threat of a changing climate and suffering from the impacts of the covid pandemic, we know from its history that the Inner Forth has a great capacity to adapt to change. We see that heritage can be the asset on which to build a sustainable, healthy, green recovery for the Inner Forth and this project will demonstrate how that can be done.
  • In February 2022, RSPB Scotland, on behalf of the Inner Forth Futures partnership, received confirmed Development Phase grant of £175,660 through the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s grants for heritage programme. This will contribute to development phase works undertaken by the partnership to a value of £228,00
  • A NLHF Development Grant means that NLHF believe that a Project has potential to deliver high-quality Outcomes and value for Lottery players' money. The Application will have been in competition with other supportable projects, so a Development Grant is recognition that NLHF value the proposals and want to have the opportunity to assess them in detail in a Delivery Phase Application. 
  • The Inner Forth Futures website is at www.innerforthlandscape.co.uk. Follow @InnerForth on Twitter, and @InnerForthLandscape on Facebook.
  • About the National Lottery Heritage Fund: Using money raised by the National Lottery, we inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.HeritageFund.org.uk. Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund