Funding to support Welsh coastal communities

The Welsh government has announced a scheme to support local projects in coastal areas of Wales to tackle the climate emergency.

The fund will aim to help communities to deliver sustainable action which supports growth and recovery in local marine and coastal areas.

Projects which could benefit from the funding include those which develop skills, knowledge and networks to engage with marine and coastal issues and those which carry out scoping exercises to look at reducing carbon emissions in the marine and coastal environment.

The fund has a yearly budget of £500,000 for two years and all projects much be completed by 31 March 2025.

Applications are open from Monday 14 August and to Friday 22 September.

Rural affairs minister Lesley Griffiths said: "I am pleased we can provide funding to support important projects which will make a difference in improving the environmental outcomes of our coastal communities.

"There are a number of initiatives the fund could support, from improving local seafood supply chains and their sustainability, to implementing recycling ideas and building an understanding of how to improve water quality.

"I encourage anybody with an interest to consider applying to the fund."

The fund will be managed by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action as part of the Local Nature Partnership network.

Catherine Miller, head of grants and income at WCVA, said: "We welcome the Coastal Capacity Building Scheme which is an innovative fund that will support coastal communities in Wales to work with partners to address the challenges facing marine and coastal environments.

"We’re really looking forward to seeing where this fund can take our coastal communities here in Wales."