Zurich Community Trust awards £300,000 worth of sustainability grants to 31 UK charity partners

Zurich Community Trust has awarded a total of £300,000 in sustainability grants to 31 charity partners over the past three years. The funding has helped bridge financial gaps and tackle additional challenges faced by charities such as scaling sustainability efforts despite the cost-of-living crisis, while providing charities with essential skills and support to remain resilient and effective.

As part of Zurich Community Trust’s broader commitment to sustainability, all 56 of our local UK charity partners were invited to apply for a grant to support a specific sustainability project or goal. The grant criteria align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals¹, which includes affordable and clean energy, responsible consumption and production, good health and wellbeing and gender equality.

Carla Mandis, Advocacy, DEIB & Sustainability Manager for Zurich Community Trust, added: “Sustainability is a top priority for all businesses and an increasing concern for charities. We know that many local and smaller charities may not have the resources, budget, or expertise to identify and implement sustainable changes. That’s why we created the sustainability fund. It gives our local charity partners the chance to apply for grants dedicated solely to sustainability projects—whether that’s cutting greenhouse gas emissions, boosting recycling, reducing food waste, or advancing best practices in culture, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“All of these efforts help our charity partners achieve more sustainable outcomes and strengthen their long-term success. We’re incredibly proud of this initiative and are committed to growing it, offering our partners meaningful support above and beyond our annual grants, which help with their day-to-day operations.”

FoodCycle transforms food waste into over 563,000 nutritious meals for the lonely

A £10,000 grant from the Zurich Community Trust sustainability fund supported charity FoodCycle in rescuing 320 tonnes of food waste in the last year. The donation equates to creating 5,435 nutritious meals, to feed the lonely and those facing poverty in communities across the UK.

To support their aim of promoting sustainability and sustainable diets, FoodCycle used the grant to produce a volunteer training video on reducing food waste and transforming surplus ingredients into healthy community meals. The grant also helped fund the salary of a staff member dedicated to sourcing surplus food for community meals across London.

FoodCycle are also working on a charity-wide sustainability policy, which will help affirm their commitment to protecting the environment and supporting both people and the planet through their work.

Leeds Older People’s Forum and Leeds City Council collaborate to improve air quality for the vulnerable

A £10,000 grant was awarded to the Leeds Older People’s Forum, who in partnership with Leeds City Council, launched the Home Air Quality project to highlight the impact of indoor air pollution on health, particularly among older people and those living with dementia in Leeds.

Working with the council’s Public Health team, a series of interactive workshops were delivered across Leeds targeting vulnerable groups identified through the air quality health needs assessments.  A workforce video and other resources were created to support ongoing training within the city’s Neighbourhood Networks and dementia-friendly community groups.

Ventilating rooms, cooking on the back of electric hobs and burning fewer candles were just some of the things people said they would do to help improve indoor air pollution.

The project supports the ambitions of the Leeds Air Quality Strategy providing practical resources for healthcare workers and community organisations to help raise awareness of how poor indoor air quality can impact health and what people can do to improve air quality in their own homes.

Ovacome zeros in on carbon output and environmental impact

Ovacome, a London-based charity supporting people affected by ovarian cancer, has made significant strides towards a greener future thanks to their £6,838 sustainability grant from Zurich Community Trust. The charity launched a series of engaging workshops and webinars focused on practical sustainability topics, including healthy eating on a budget, making natural multi-purpose cleaners, creative home recycling, and reducing energy consumption.

To extend the reach of these valuable resources, the webinars were recorded and made available as videos, ensuring even more people could benefit from the skills and knowledge shared. Designed specifically for individuals living with ovarian cancer, these interactive sessions not only encouraged sustainable living but also helped reduce isolation. By bringing participants together online, Ovacome fostered a supportive community where people could connect, share experiences, and build lasting friendships.

The grant also enabled Ovacome to appoint a dedicated Sustainability Ambassador, who is leading the development of a comprehensive carbon reduction strategy set to launch in 2026. Key elements of the strategy include reducing single-use plastics, promoting sustainable travel, and delivering further workshops on sustainable practices.

Ovacome’s efforts demonstrate how targeted funding can empower communities, promote environmental responsibility, and strengthen peer support networks for those facing significant health challenges.

Sophie Tebbetts, CEO of FoodCycle said: “Thanks to the generosity of the sustainability fund we’ve been able to equip our volunteers with additional skills and knowledge to make the most of the surplus food they cook with.  This goes beyond the kitchen as the meals served have a huge influence on our guests, with many reporting that coming to FoodCycle has inspired them to waste less food at home and eat in a way that is better for the planet.

“In addition, the funding has also supported a key member of the team who works with surplus food charities and organisations across London to ensure that we have enough food to be able to cook and serve nutritious community meals across the city. We’re really grateful for the support in helping us to continue to promote sustainability and the positive impact that community dining can have on both people and the planet.”

Joanne Volpe, Chief Executive at Leeds Older People’s Forum commented: “The £10,000 grant from Zurich Community Trust has positively impacted public health awareness in Leeds for older people, people living with dementia and their carers and supporters by spotlighting indoor air quality and its health effects. For many people this was an unknown topic and a real eye opener in relation to the link with Heart Disease, COPD, Cancer, Stroke and emerging evidence on Dementia.

“We achieved this through outreach via interactive workshops in targeted areas of the city. We used accessible resources like the top tips' leaflet, air quality monitors, produced a work force video and signposted to relevant services and support like Care and Repair and the Green Doctor.

“92.5% of people who attended a session said they would put into practice something they had learnt, be it changes to their own homes or to their behaviours. The 10 top tips leaflet was also reprinted by the Leeds City Council- Public Health Team so that it could be further utilised increasing the sustainability of the project.”

Councillor Fiona Venner, Leeds City Council executive member for equalities, health and wellbeing, said: “We welcome the opportunity provided through the Zurich Community Fund to work with the Leeds Older People’s Forum to raise awareness of the impact of poor indoor air quality on the health of older people. This has allowed us to educate the older people on the harmful effects of air pollution and provide useful tips that everyone can do at home to reduce the amount of pollution they are exposed to.

“We will continue to work with our Leeds Neighbourhood Networks throughout the autumn and winter to raise more awareness using the materials delivered from the grant, allowing us to educate more people on improving their air quality indoors.”

Victoria Clare, CEO of Ovacome commented: “Not only were we able to use the sustainability grant to deep-dive into our greenhouse emissions and analyse where we could cut back, but we were also able to launch a series of sustainability-focused workshops and webinars covering practical topics like healthy eating on a budget, creating natural multi-purpose cleaners, and cutting energy consumption.

“The feedback we received was phenomenal. For those living with ovarian cancer it can be very isolating and often money and resources can be limited, that’s why we tailored the interactive sessions to foster vital connections, helping to reduce isolation by bringing participants together online for peer support and lasting friendships.”

¹THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development