Village wellbeing charity, HI Friends, is one of nine organisations across South Cambs set to receive a grant award under the South Cambs District Council (SCDC) Net Zero Villages Scheme.
A total of £360,000 has been made available through the scheme, from which HI Friends has been granted £55,000 towards the purchase of an electric community minibus.
Other recipients include Shepreth, Oakington and Horningsea Parish Councils, a community pub in Ickleton and, in nearby villages, Over and Cottenham Community Centres. Full details of all awards can be found on the SCDC website.
Funding for the scheme was provided by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, with supplementary funds contributed by the District Council.
Tackling climate change
In a press release, SCDC writes that the scheme empowers voluntary groups, parish councils and community-minded businesses to tackle climate change by reducing carbon emissions from community assets, such as village halls, and using nature-based solutions to adapt these buildings for a future with more extreme weather patterns. The grant also welcomed proposals for low carbon transport schemes, such as e-bikes or community shuttle buses.
Launched in December last year, Histon & Impington was originally excluded from the scheme because the village was deemed to be part of the ‘Cambridge built-up area’. But, HI HUB enquires with the Office of National Statistics revealed that Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority – who set the rules for the scheme – had based it on out-of-date information, rather than the 2021 census, leading to SCDC admitting they had wrongly excluded Histon & Impington and six other South Cambs villages from the scheme.
Talking to HI HUB, chair of HI Friends, Neil Davies, said: “HI Friends is thrilled with news of the award of a £55,000 grant award from the SCDC Net Zero Villages Grant Scheme towards the purchase of a new electric powered Community Minibus for Histon and Impington.
“This will have a dual benefit for our two villages in helping to secure the future of the much valued community minibus and in a small way contributing towards the local Net Zero target and less polluted air”.
The community minibus provides transport to residents across the community who might otherwise find travel difficult; offering lifts to attend groups, shopping and outings. The minibus is also available for use by community groups serving all ages.
‘Immensely grateful’
Sharing his thanks to those behind the expansion of this grant scheme to our village, Neil added, “the charity is immensely grateful to Liz Hill of HI HUB for her successful campaign to ensure communities like ours could apply to the grant scheme, and to District Councillor James Rixon for pro-actively suggesting HI Friends make a grant application.
“There is much work still to be done to progress and deliver the project including the procurement of a suitable vehicle and its conversion, as well as the need for new driver volunteers coming forward”.
Read more about the work of HI Friends on their website.
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