New project to explore community-led responses to health and climate action
23 July 2025
Thanks to National Lottery players, this new project will explore innovative community responses to the impacts of climate change, and how these are affecting Scotland’s health in unfair and avoidable ways.
Led jointly by Scottish Communities Climate Action Network (SCCAN) and the Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC), Unbound will work across Scotland to raise awareness of the power of community action to achieve local solutions that also take on global issues.
We will be alongside communities, together exploring the multiple opportunities for improving health and wellbeing, strengthening relationships, celebrating nature, making air quality better and creating warmer homes.
Funding for this project comes from the Climate Action Fund, a £100 million commitment over 10 years from The National Lottery Community Fund to support communities across the UK to take action on climate change and involve more people in climate action.
As well as supporting local activity in all 32 local authority areas, Unbound will also be working with local and national partners to build new skills and knowledge of healthy and resilient places. We envision collaborators in this widening network growing the confidence to integrate these into their policies and practice.
Craig Dunn, Operations Lead at SCCAN, said:
“We are grateful to the National Lottery Community Fund for backing this project at this critical time for our communities in relation to health and climate change. Our partnership with SCDC is uniquely placed to tackle this dual aspect and we look forward to being of service across the broad spectrum of organisations we’ll interact with. We are excited by the possibilities of collaborative Unbound action that breaks through silos and realises the potential for positive change that we have in Scotland.”
Sarah Boath, Head of Programmes at SCDC, said:
“We’re delighted to be working with SCCAN on this joint project, supported by the National Lottery Community Fund. It’s vital that communities have the skills, knowledge, and confidence to be able to embed practical action into their everyday activities on the issues they're facing around the unfair impact of climate change on health and wellbeing.
“We hope, working with our SCCAN colleagues, that this project will support local communities to take the lead, innovate and see positive change happen.”
About SCDC
The Scottish Community Development Centre is the lead body for community development in Scotland and supports the Community Health Exchange, a Scotland-wide network, working with community-led health organisations, Local Authorities, the NHS and Scottish Government to promote community development approaches to tackling Scotland’s persistent health inequalities.
About SCCAN
Scottish Communities Climate Action Network (SCCAN) aims to support community-led action in Scotland to address the climate and nature emergency and work for a just, thriving and resilient Scotland. SCCAN connects with Scottish communities working for a better and fairer future for all.
