Putting affected communities at the heart of climate action
Putting affected communities at the heart of climate action
Tina O’Donnell
It is a year since we started our National Lottery-funded Climate for Communities programme and during this time we have learned so much!
The Climate for Communities partnership was established to empower those most at risk of climate change impacts, who are often underrepresented in climate action, to take action themselves.
The Problem
Despite Brighton & Hove's reputation as a prosperous city, significant inequalities persist. The 2026 Joint Strategic Needs Assessment found that 17% of residents live in one of England’s 20% most deprived areas, while 17% live in one of the 20% least deprived. Around 32% of children under 15 live in income-deprived households. Health inequalities are stark: men in the most deprived areas can expect to live 10.1 years less than those in the least deprived areas, while women live 5.6 years less. The gap in healthy life expectancy is even greater, with men experiencing 14 fewer years and women 12.5 fewer years in good health. Residents of deprived neighbourhoods are also more vulnerable to climate-related health risks, including extreme heat events like those we experienced in June 2026.
The Climate Change Committee’s 2026 Adaption Progress Report highlights that people with protected characteristics, including ethnic minority communities, disabled people and LGBTQ+ people, often face heightened climate vulnerability, partly because they are disproportionately represented in these deprived communities.
In response, the Climate for Communities partnership seeks to enable these groups, who tend to be excluded from climate conversations, to have greater influence over the design and delivery of the city's climate agenda.
What we have done so far:
We have spent the first year working with our partners really to understand what the barriers and opportunities are by:
moving at ‘the speed of trust’ and using asset -based community development principles that see the skills and resources of communities as the main building blocks for community development.
asking what communities think and feel about climate and nature
testing climate action activities with communities to find out what works and how to make these inclusive; so that all of our communities can get involved
Our partnership has representation from community organisations based in social housing estates across the City, that fall within the most deprived 10–20% of neighbourhoods nationally, where residents experience poorer health, social and economic outcomes. It also includes organisations representing identity communities: Bridging Change works with Black and minoritised ethnic communities; Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard and Lunch Positive support LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV; Possability People support disabled people and those with long-term health conditions; Sussex Interpreting services works with migrant individuals and communities speaking 50 languages; while Brighton & Hove Speak Out works with adults with learning disabilities, and the Carers Centre Brighton & Hove works with unpaid carers.
Additionally, the Climate for Communities partnership involves and builds relationships between the above community groups local climate action groups, national climate action organisations, Brighton and Hove City Council, UNESCO Biosphere as well as Evaluation experts.
Our diverse partnership means that we have been able to view our activities through an intersectional lens, sharing this learning with our partners as well as external stakeholders so that it can be utilised in their climate action work.
What we have learned so far from our partnership communities
Themes of guilt, worry about the cost of living and mental health challenges have been expressed, against a backdrop of lots of positive climate and nature action already happening, at individual and community level.
People are already doing a lot that counts as climate action, but don’t talk about it in that way, because they are focusing on other motivators like: mental and physical health; saving money; being resourceful; valuing surroundings and communities; as well as connecting with others. Tapping into and highlighting key motivators help people take small steps that add up.
Climate focussed language can be confusing, inaccessible and off putting– this is why we are co-creating a glossary and collaborating to make conversations relevant.
A fuller account of lessons identified by the Climate for Communities partnership can be found in a learning report authored by Climate:Change, who have supported CfC to identify lessons in their role as its Learning and Evaluation partner.
Some highlights from this year
The Green Champions programme was attended by 10 community organisations, supporting them to undertake the Investors in the Environment course and implement sustainability initiatives within their organisations.
Our first Green Careers Fair was held earlier this year, to share volunteering, learning and green job information with people who are not usually involved in the climate and nature world. Stands included green businesses, community groups, local entrepreneurs and learning providers. Over 100 people attended the event. We’have gathered lots of feedback to help us develop future events.
3 of our community of identity partners, The Carers Centre, Possability People and Speak Out, collaborated on a litter pick in Preston Park, inviting their members to take part in collecting and sorting litter, as well as hearing from the Biosphere Manager and a Wildlife officer about the impact of litter on our environment.
BHCC Schools worked with parents, carers and families in Whitehawk to plant trees and set up a gardening club at St Mark’s CE Primary School, and arranged a sewing workshop and visit to the Scrap Space with Whitehawk Multicultural Women’s Group.
What next?
We will need to:
change the image of climate action and make it relevant to our communities because there is a lack of diversity and inclusion in the ‘green’ sector; another barrier to communities getting involved.
celebrate what is already happening in communities
create climate and nature action activities and opportunities that are centred on health and wellbeing and/or the cost of living with a social element.
share our learning with other climate and nature groups and organisations so that they can identify ways to promote and make their activities inclusive for all our communities.
Supporting and encouraging our communities to feel like climate and nature action is for them is key to our approach. This will involve working with partners to listen and co-design accessible and truly inclusive activities within our communities, weaving in aspects of climate action so that it is not off-putting.
We are hoping that over time confidence will grow and our partnership communities will seek to be involved in and perhaps lead climate action activities in future.
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Tina O’Donnell is Programme Manager for the CLimate for Communities programme
Thanks to National Lottery players, The Trust for Developing Communities has received almost £1.3 million over three years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK.
Perspective pieces are the responsibility of the authors, and do not commit Climate:Change in any way. Comments are welcome.