Climate Action Microgrant: turning community energy into environmental improvements

Our Climate Action Microgrant programme helped GoodGym Richmond volunteers turn community effort into tangible environmental improvements across the borough.

Ged Jenkins-Omar, trusts and grants officer at GoodGym Richmond, said: “The microgrants helped our six-month project from March to August 2026 deliver 33 volunteering sessions involving 49 people. This funding meant our volunteers had access to suitable equipment to tackle mucky and challenging clean-up tasks across the borough.

"The funding was straightforward to access and we appreciated its local focus. A relatively small amount of funding can make a meaningful difference to a small volunteer-led project, because the equipment can be used repeatedly across many sessions and locations. The award also recognised the important contribution that community volunteers make to Richmond’s natural environment.”

Cleaning up the borough

GoodGym combines getting fit and doing good. Their active members—runners, walkers, and cyclists— combine regular exercise with helping local communities.

Funded by a Climate Action Microgrant, GoodGym Richmond volunteers helped keep local areas cleaner through regular litter-picking sessions at Petersham Common and the Three Pigeons Plot. They removed bottles, crisp packets and other discarded waste. At Petersham Common, they collected numerous bags of roadside litter, including dumped furniture and vehicle parts.

Alongside litter picking, the project supported waste reduction and reuse. At Ham and Petersham Sea Scouts, volunteers collected discarded wood for storage, and to use as firewood during future Scout activities.

Biodiversity and habitat management

Beyond clearing litter, GoodGym volunteers helped protect and enhance local habitats through practical conservation work.

Working alongside Friends of Ham Lands, volunteers cleared brambles and ivy to improve access along pathways and protect important natural habitats. They also worked around hawthorn trees, learning about local insect populations and how careful habitat management supports biodiversity.

By supporting invasive-species management, habitat restoration and riverbank conservation, the microgrant helped strengthen local biodiversity and improve the resilience of Richmond's green spaces. Along the way, volunteers gained hands-on experience in habitat protection and environmental stewardship.

Green space maintenance and gardening

The community spirit extended to gardening and the day-to-day care of shared green spaces, with support from Richmond’s Climate Action Microgrant.

At the Three Pigeons Plot, volunteers weeded planted borders and vegetable beds, cleared moss and leaves, cut back overgrown hedges and bushes, and cared for flowers and planted areas. They also composted green waste and carried out other gardening tasks.

Funding available for projects supporting climate action

GoodGym Richmond's sessions showed how our Climate Action Microgrant scheme can help turn local ideas into practical action. Do you have a green idea for your area?

Apply for funding of up to £500 by Friday 30 October 2026.

You can find out more and apply for a Climate Action Microgrant.