East London Communities Take the Lead in New Grassroots Climate Action Campaign

The Cleaner Greener East London campaign, led by Paint the Change, has been funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and will bring together five grassroots organisations working across Hackney, Newham, Bexley and Greenwich to address climate challenges through creative, inclusive, and locally driven projects. The campaign will focus on improving green spaces, tackling waste, and opening pathways into the green economy, whilst ensuring that communities often excluded from climate conversations are placed at the centre of the work.

Over the course of the campaign, more than 6,000 people from underrepresented communities are expected to take part in over 300 activities, including environmental workshops, community gardening projects, arts programmes, and climate education initiatives. The project will also create public murals, short films and digital storytelling content to help communicate climate issues in accessible and culturally relevant ways.

A key component of the campaign will be the creation of a Youth Citizen Journalism Network, engaging young people from each partner organisation to document climate activities in their communities through digital storytelling, interviews, and short films. Their work will be featured on a dedicated campaign platform highlighting grassroots climate action across the region.

Partner organisations will also lead locally tailored initiatives including community garden rewilding projects, forest school programmes, climate education workshops, and creative arts projects designed to engage residents of all ages. By combining environmental action with cultural and community engagement, A Cleaner and Greener East London will help build long-term networks among grassroots organisations and create a replicable model for inclusive, community-driven climate leadership.