£30,000 for planet positive ideas in Devon

• Devon County Council and Crowdfunder are calling for environmental initiatives to submit ideas in response to the climate emergency for chance to get a slice of of £30,000 in match funding 

• A 24-hour live crowdfunding competition took place on 8 July featuring three Devon-based community projects: The Greenway Project, The Earth Repair Shop and Sustainable Tiverton

• Sustainable Tiverton were the overall winners on the night taking home a £5,000 prize fund

• Match funding on Crowdfunder is money that is pledged on a ‘project’ (a Crowdfunder fundraising page) that matches funds raised from the crowd (Ts&Cs apply)

Environmental projects in Devon are leading the way with planet positive initiatives designed to bring together the local community in the fight against the county’s climate crisis.

A 24-hour crowdfunding campaign took place on 8 July, culminating in a live streamed event that demonstrated the incredible community spirit in Devon, and passion for a sustainable future, with people coming together to tackle climate and environmental issues.

All three participants in the event were fantastic community projects and incredible examples of what can be achieved through crowdfunding. Now, in order to support further planet positive ideas, Devon County Council are offering a further ten projects the opportunity to grab a share of £30,000 in match-funding.

Individuals, groups or organisations with an idea for tackling Devon’s climate emergency are invited to share their ambitions and put their idea forward for a share in the funding. You’ll receive support from Crowdfunder as part of their #BackTheFuture LIVE initiative to take your idea to the crowd, and the next level. If you have a planet positive idea, find out more about the match-funding on offer here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/backthefuture/devon 

Local grassroots project, Sustainable Tiverton, were crowned overall winners at the live event, securing £5000 towards their community initiative which aims to build a Sustainability Hub that will be a place for everyone in Tiverton to get involved in taking action on the climate emergency.

The Earth Repair Shop walked away with £3,000 to help with the running costs of their community climate change advice centre in Ilfracombe, with The Greenway Project taking 3rd place and a £2,000 prize to assist in the extension of the Wray Valley Multi-Use Trail to reduce dependence on cars and encourage green exercise and carbon reduction.

Clare Groom, Sustainable Tiverton volunteer: “We’re so proud of what we’ve been able to achieve. Not only did we raise more than £10,000 to set up our Sustainability Hub in Tiverton, the crowdfunding campaign was great for raising our profile and demonstrated to us just how much local support there is for our plans.” 

The three projects were judged by Devon County Councillor, Andrea Davis, Jay Tompt, co-founder of the Totnes REconomy Project, Local Spark Torbay and lecturer on postgraduate economics programmes at Schumacher College, and Rob Passmore, CEO of Smarter Carbon, Commercial Lead for the Biosphere Foundation and a board member of One Northern Devon.

Jay Tompt, Judge, BackTheFuture LIVE Devon: “We’re in an era that requires massive change and it’s great to see Devon County Council and Crowdfunder working together to help spark – and finance – citizen action. It was fun and inspiring to be part of the panel awarding funds to the three citizen-led projects that pitched at #BackTheFuture and help them take another big leap forward with their plans.”

If you’re based in Devon and you have an idea to tackle the climate emergency, tell us your idea here!