Veolia, the UK’s leading resource management company, launched this year’s Sustainability Fund in partnership with St Albans City & District Council on World Environment Day to help support people across St Albans to improve their communities with grants of up to £1,000.
Last year was an incredibly successful one for the Sustainability Fund, with two grassroots projects given £1,500 funding in St Albans.
Veolia’s Sustainability Fund is open to not-for-profit organisations, community groups, and individuals in areas where the company delivers recycling and waste collections, and street cleansing services for the community. Up to £1,000 in funding is available per project and applicants can also request in-kind resources or volunteers to help them deliver ecological transformation.
The Civic Rose Garden Regeneration is an example of a previously successful recipient of the fund. They received £750 in 2024 to revitalise the Civic Rose Garden to enhance its natural beauty and increase biodiversity. The funding helped them plant 172 individual plants and provide local residents with opportunities to volunteer and gain new skills in the field of horticulture.
To celebrate the Sustainability Fund’s fifth anniversary, one standout project will receive a special bumper grant of up to £5,000. This additional award will recognise a project that demonstrates remarkable, long-term community impact. To be considered for this additional funding, applicants simply need to opt in during the standard application process.
All applications will be considered, with environmental projects needing to meet at least one key criteria:
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Enhances biodiversity
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Promotes sustainable waste behaviours
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Protects the environment by using recycled, reused or reclaimed materials.
New for 2025, the Sustainability Fund is expanding to include social projects alongside environmental initiatives. This broader focus now welcomes projects that strengthen the local community, including employment support programmes, rehabilitation projects, and youth development initiatives.
Pascal Hauret, managing director municipal at Veolia, said: “Since its launch five years ago, the Sustainability Fund has allowed us to directly support the communities we serve with over £300,000 in funding delivered since 2021. The fund continues to grow and evolve, this year offering more opportunities than ever, and I’m looking forward to reviewing some unique and inspiring applications, from environmental projects to social initiatives.”
Councillor Terrie Smith, lead for recycling for St Albans City & District Council, said: “We are pleased to support Veolia’s Sustainability Fund for 2025. This is a well-established fund and I urge residents and community groups across the district who have a suitable project in mind to consider making an application for funding.
“There is up to £1,000 available for each project – and also a chance of securing a special grant of £5,000 for an outstanding, long-term project that will have a significant impact on the local community involved.”
Applications can be made via Veolia’s website at veolia.co.uk/Sustainability-Fund. The fund will be open for applications until Tuesday, September 30.
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