£1.5m fund to empower communities to act on reuse, repair and waste reduction

Libraries and grassroots groups join forces for region-wide programme backed by the National Lottery

Communities across Devon are set to benefit from a major new climate action initiative thanks to £1.5 million in National Lottery funding.

The five-year project – Together for Tomorrow – will be led by Libraries Unlimited, the charity commissioned to run libraries in Devon and Torbay, in partnership with Resource Futures through CAG Devon – a vibrant network of grassroots sustainability groups – and will involve a wide range of local partners across the region.

Harnessing the power of libraries as trusted, accessible spaces, Together for Tomorrow will support people across the region to take practical, meaningful sustainability action right on their doorstep.

Running over a five-year period, the programme will support the transformation of these spaces into hubs where local people can take sustainability-focused action: from establishing repair cafés and community fridges to growing schemes, sewing groups and workshops on low-waste living.

The programme will connect new and existing groups, offer training and resources, and help communities turn ideas into impact with the ambition of reducing waste, promoting sustainable living and introducing new audiences to climate action.

The project’s vision – ‘more people, doing more things, more of the time’ – is focused on inclusion, resilience and community connection. Together for Tomorrow brings together a diverse collaboration of community groups and organisations, each rooted in their local area and playing an active role in shaping and delivering climate action.

These include several community groups (Action for Climate Teignbridge (ACT), Blackdown Hills EcoHub, Proper Job, Earth Action North Devon, Sustainable Tiverton, Sustainable South Hams, Transition Exmouth, and Uffculme Green Team), which will contribute skill sharing, networking, toolkit development and peer mentoring.

The programme will also involve numerous outreach organisations (Active Devon, Honeyscribe, and Ride-on Cycling ), while additional fundraising and engagement support for the programme will be provided by Devon Community Foundation and Devon Communities Together.

Funded through the National Lottery Climate Action Fund, the programme supports the goals of the Devon Carbon Plan, which sets out a roadmap to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

“We’re thrilled to be co-leading this ambitious initiative that empowers communities to take meaningful, everyday climate action,” says Charlie Eddisford, Communities Lead at Resource Futures. “CAG Devon has shown just how much creativity and commitment exists locally.

“To build on that, and to help new ideas get started, groups need time, space, and opportunities to connect. Together for Tomorrow will help create the conditions to make that happen.”

“Devon faces a range of climate-related challenges—from coastal erosion and flooding to declining biodiversity, poorly insulated homes, and limited public transport, which forces people to rely on cars,” says Alex Kittow, Chief Executive of Libraries Unlimited. “Tackling these issues requires local, adaptable solutions shaped by the people they affect.

“Libraries are at the heart of our communities, so it makes perfect sense for them to be a catalyst for change. Together for Tomorrow will bring people together through collaboration, creativity and shared learning – creating a model of community-led climate action that others across the UK can follow. Real change starts where people are – and for many, that’s their local library.”

Together for Tomorrow is being supported by The National Community Fund.