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Join schools and organisations across the Scottish Borders in taking action to protect, enhance or connect with the environment. Inspired by the enthusiasm of Borders’ High School students to collective take action on the climate, Borders Act for Change provides seed funding for events and activities that will have a positive impact in the Scottish Borders and beyond.Action should take place in and can be one-off events or ongoing activity, such as:- Tree planting- Biodiversity surveys- Community gardening day- Upcycling fashion event- Litter picks- Guided nature walk- Clothes swap- Expertise talks - Environmental film screenings - Volunteering day- Reduce energy usage

The Council has a number of settlement trusts which support projects under a wide range of categories including education, arts, local communities and the environment.Check the website for a full list of trusts and for contact details for each.You can apply for funding from a Settlement Trust if it falls under the following categories:- Prevention of Poverty- Advancement of Education- Advancement of Religion- Saving of Lives-Advancement of Citizenship- Advancement of Arts- Advancement of Public Participation in Sport- Provision of Recreational Facilities- Advancement of Human Rights- Promotion of religious or racial harmony- Promotion of Equality- Advancement of Environmental Protection- Relief of Those In Need- Advancement of Animal Welfare- Analogous Purposes- Advancement of Health

Local community planning is about making a positive difference to the communities we live in. Fife Council does this by bringing together local communities with public, voluntary, private sector and other organisations to improve our communities and quality of life.Projects should meet some of the priorities of your local area’s community plan. There are individual plans for each area on the Council's [Local Community Plans page](https://www.fife.gov.uk/about-your-council/council-performance/local-community-planning).Examples of the types of projects they will be looking to support are:- taking a pride in your community- improvements to community facilities- community events- employability initiatives- vulnerable or disadvantaged groups in a community

The Forestry Grant Scheme offers financial support for the creation of new woodland and the sustainable management of existing woodland. Within the scheme's eight categories, there are a range of support options covering planting, woodland protection, harvesting and more.

The Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS) is designed to support access to finance for UK small businesses (third-sector) as they look to invest and grow. The Scheme provides a 70% government backed guarantee on loans, and aims to improve access to finance to boost overall investment and economic growth. The Scheme supports term loans, overdrafts, asset based lending and invoice finance facilities. Term loans and asset finance facilities are available from three months up to six years, with overdrafts and invoice finance available from three months up to three years.To find out more, visit the SIS website or contact them to speak with a member of the team.

The Community Buildings Fund, part of the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), provides grants to help community organisations reduce their building’s energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. It does this by funding the installation of renewable technologies like heat pumps, battery storage, and solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, as well as some energy efficiency measures.Grants up to £80,000 for 80% of eligible costs are available to eligible community groups to help you reduce energy costs and make your building more sustainable. The funding can be used towards the cost of installing renewable energy and energy efficiency measures. It can also be used for costs like building warrants, planning permission and grid connection applications which are essential to install some measures. What improvements will CARES fund?**1. Heating requirement**CARES funding is prioritised to buildings that have or will decarbonise their heating. Your building must have:- A heat pump (air source, ground source or water source).- A connection to a heat network.- Direct electric heating (including storage heating or electric boilers) biomass heating.Or as part of your CARES project you will be installing:- A heat pump; or- A connection to a heat network.**2. Core measures eligible for CARES funding.**You must install at least one core CARES measures:- A heat pump (air source, ground source or water source).- A connection to heat network.- Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.- Solar water heating.**3. Add-on measures**In addition to installing a core measure(s), you can also apply for funding to install one or more of the following:- Energy storage – heat/thermal or electrical.Insulation – any loft, underfloor or cavity wall insulation.- Secondary glazing.- Draught proofing.- Appropriate energy saving controls that are linked to new installations to ensure they operate efficiently.Eligible community buildings include, but are not limited to:- Village halls.- Community centres.- Community hubs.- Sports facilities.- Faith buildings.The building must be used by the local community or charitable organisation.

If you are interested in starting a tenant and resident’s association in your local area you can apply for a grant to help meet running costs of the group.The grant can cover the cost of:- Publicising and holding meetings- Responding to requests for help, from tenants and the Council- Producing information for those they represent- Keeping up to date with developments in housing- Organising events and initiatives that benefit their community

Common Good Funds earn money each year from property rents and interest on investments and balances. These funds can be used for the benefit of the inhabitants of that town/area. Projects must have a community-wide benefit. You must clearly show how your proposal will benefit the people living in the relevant former burgh.Fife Council uses agreed criteria to assess applications:- the value of each Common Good Fund should be protected over time- grants will normally cover no more than 50% of a project’s total cost

The Local Support Grants are funds available through the Scottish Government’s Alcohol and Drugs Fund, administered by the Corra Foundation. This fund is intended to help organisations to stabilise or increase capacity, continue services and provide further reach into the community. It aims to facilitate rights-based, relational support for people so that they can easily access the right support at the right time.

The Youth Arts Open Fund is administered by YouthLink Scotland (the national agency for youth work in Scotland) and is part of Creative Scotland’s wider support for children and young people, funded by the Scottish Government. The purpose of the Youth Arts Open Fund is to support freelance artists or organisations seeking small amounts of funding so that they can deliver arts activity for children and young people, prioritising those who have traditionally found it hardest to access such opportunities. Funded projects are expected to engage children and young people in high-quality and accessible arts activity that empowers them through self-expression, enhances their health, wellbeing and personal development, and builds their confidence and skills.