North Yorkshire Together is proud to be a partner in Village Green, a three-year, £1.2 million programme putting communities at the heart of climate action across North Yorkshire.
Led by Community First Yorkshire and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, Village Green is all about making climate action practical, positive and part of everyday life. The project recognises that meaningful change starts locally – in our villages, towns, community buildings and green spaces – and that when people come together, small steps can lead to lasting impact.
What Village Green is about
Village Green supports communities to take action on climate change in ways that feel relevant and achievable. Rather than focusing on large-scale policy change, the programme is centred on local solutions that reduce energy use, protect nature, strengthen community spaces and build confidence to act.
Across North Yorkshire, Village Green will:
- Support community buildings to become more energy efficient through surveys, advice and practical improvements
- Create opportunities for young people to explore climate issues, build skills and lead change in their communities
- Deliver creative workshops, events and activities that connect climate action with sport, arts and everyday community life
- Support nature-based projects such as tree and hedgerow planting, habitat restoration and biodiverse community green spaces
- Provide tools, training and environmental audits to help voluntary and community organisations reduce costs and carbon
At its heart, Village Green is about empowering communities to feel confident, informed and supported to take action together. You can follow their work on their Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
See some of the great work in action across North Yorkshire:
Our role in Village Green
As a countywide partnership focused on strengthening the voluntary and community sector, North Yorkshire Together brings our experience of collaboration and community engagement to the programme.
We are working alongside partners to:
- Connect organisations and communities into the wider Village Green network
- Support collaboration across sectors
- Share learning and good practice
- Help ensure that opportunities reach a wide range of communities across North Yorkshire
Village Green also aligns closely with our commitment to reducing inequality and building resilient communities. Climate change affects communities differently, and by working together we can help ensure that action is inclusive, accessible and community-led.
The Village Green project delivered training across two FEAST provider development days in June 2026, engaging over 50 organisations that run holiday programmes during Easter, Summer and Christmas. The sessions introduced the project and highlighted our collaborative approach. Further to this, the collaboration will run over subsequent training days, with different focuses each time.
Each development day included two hours of training. The first hour focused on helping organisations become more ethical and environmentally sustainable. The second hour provided practical ideas that providers can use within their FEAST activities to engage children and young people aged 4–16. This includes placing children at the centre of climate action, while ensuring activities are accessible, purposeful and relevant.
With more than 30,000 sessions delivered during the Summer holidays alone, even if just a third incorporate climate-focused activities, this represents a significant step towards embedding climate awareness and action within our communities.
Working in partnership
Village Green is led by Community First Yorkshire, in partnership with:
- Howardian Hills National Landscape
- North Yorkshire Sport
- North Yorkshire Youth
- Rural Arts
- Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust
- Yorkshire Energy Doctor
- North Yorkshire Together
Together, we are creating opportunities for communities to reduce energy use, care for local environments and strengthen the places where people live, work and connect.
Funded by The National Lottery Community Fund
Village Green has been made possible thanks to more than £1.2 million from The National Lottery Community Fund’s Climate Action Fund, made possible by National Lottery players.
This funding supports a long-term commitment to community-led climate action across North Yorkshire — helping local people take practical steps towards a greener, more resilient future.