Get involved in the Ouse Valley Climate Action - Community Pitch. Awards of £500-£5,000 are being offered to shortlisted project and community groups to take positive climate action in the Ouse Valley.
Ouse Valley Climate Action (OVCA) aims to bring the whole community together to help the environment and create a more sustainable planet for future generations. Community Pitch is an opportunity for groups in the Lewes District to ‘pitch’ their projects and be in for a chance of funding up to £5,000. We’re asking you to fundraise 10% of the project value yourselves, which can be through local events, your organisation, or a crowd funding page which we can create for you if shortlisted.
New applications
Applications are now open for the final round of funding and should be sent to us by Tuesday 30 June 2026. Please read the application guidance, and take a look at some of the previously funded projects below.
Current Projects
At the end of last year, in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund, Lewes District Council and South Downs National Park Trust, we invited eligible organisations to submit their Community Pitch for sustainable project ideas that meet the Ouse Valley Climate Action initiative themes of reducing carbon usage, supporting nature and enhancing wellbeing, knowledge and skills around climate change.
Examples of previous entries
Friends of Sutton Downs
Who are they? Friends of Sutton Downs (FOSD) aims to provide a means for local people to become involved in this neighbourhood green space, and to secure a future for this special place as a
nature friendly resource for the whole community.
Their pitch: By adding interpretive artwork to the popular existing rain garden it will be easier to understand how rain gardens work and how to build one at home. An extra downpipe and new channel will demonstrate that the roof water is used to water the plants – bringing beauty and biodiversity. A water refill station will make it easy to avoid single use plastic bottles and prevent littering. It will raise awareness of the inter-related issues of water use, climate change, and pollution.
Engaging all visitors will reach a wider audience and promote an interest in the wellbeing that renaturing the whole site brings. Besides making the site more attractive to visitors, our volunteering opportunities are designed to promote active involvement.
The project is permanent and, thanks to effective rain water management, the planting improves all the time.
Fundraising: Friends of Sutton Downs are looking to raise £515. If you would like to support them, view their fundraising page here.
Their short film:
Thriving Ouse Festival
Who are they? Love our Ouse is a community based initiative to link people to celebrate, raise the profile of and upscale positive action for our river from source to sea. We believe the Ouse has the right to support a rich biodiversity and a thriving riverside community.
Their pitch: Love our Ouse would like to be part of the flagship Thriving Ouse Festival to celebrate, learn and act for the River Ouse and its tributaries. The community festival will be a series of events for local people and all levels of key stakeholders to come together and create a shared vision of a thriving Ouse which faces extensive threats and challenges. Celebrate the incredible achievements of the pioneering River Ouse Charter to date and be part of turning this powerful declaration into a game changing movement with which to turn the tide on the health of the river. Take part in local events and activities across the Ouse Catchment.
Fundraising: The Thriving Ouse Festival project is hoping to raise £500. If you would like to support them, view their fundraising page here.
Their short film:
Please note:
Donations will be used to support the intended project. If funds are raised in excess of the final project costs, the surplus will be used by the recipient to enhance or maintain the project, in line with its organisation’s objectives.
If this is not possible, the funds will be transferred to the Community Pitch Fund, administered by the South Downs National Park Trust (registered charity no. 1174975), to support other charitable projects in the Ouse Valley Climate Action area.
If a project is unable to proceed or is not completed, donations will similarly be redirected to other eligible projects in the area. If you wish to request a return of your individual donation, please contact: grants@southdowns.gov.uk