Members panel opportunity
The Highlands and Islands Climate Hub are looking forward to welcoming its members to join them in a new members panel which makes decisions on how the Hub’s Climate Action Fund is distributed to communities in Highland, Orkney and Shetland.
This opportunity arose from a desire from the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub to have more community involvement in its decision-making processes and invites members to be more involved in the Hub’s work. The panel offers members the opportunity to review the applications the Fund receives, be inspired by fellow member ambitions and support the projects they think will create positive change in the Highlands and Islands.
The Climate Action Fund is administered and funded by the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub. It offers grants of up to £1,000 to support community-led climate action projects across Highland, Orkney & Shetland.
Senior Project Officer for the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub, Bethany Lawrie said:
“I’m so pleased to launch the Climate Action Fund Members Panel and can’t wait to work with our members to distribute Funds to deserving projects and communities. I’m conscious that some members might be hesitant to join the panel if they wish to apply to the fund for their own projects but there are simple steps we will take to ensure fairness. It’s important to note too, that members do not need to have previous experience in funding application scoring. All we ask is that you bring an interest in supporting community-led climate action across the region. The panel will be working alongside the Hub team every step of the way.”
Anyone interested in being involved can expect to read and score applications submitted to the Climate Action Fund, attend an online panel meeting after the closure of each funding round – there are three in 2026 and take part in discussions around which projects will receive funding. In 2025, the Highlands and Islands Climate Hub considered 49 applications in total and distributed nearly £22,000 to communities.