€10m government fund to help community greening projects
The government is allocating €10 million for community greening projects by local councils, NGOs and individuals.
The scheme was announced by Environment Minister Miriam Dalli and Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds Chris Bonnett at a press conference on Wednesday.
Steve Ellul, chief executive of the Project Green agency, explained that the scheme is open to local councils, schools, civic centres and NGOs as well as individuals who propose the green regeneration of existing areas.
Applicants must present detailed plans about how they envision upgrading the proposed areas as well as a detailed five-year maintenance plan to ensure that the projects enjoy as much longevity as possible, he said. All of the proposed projects must be completed by 2025 in order to benefit from the scheme.
Dalli said that the project aims to include as many people as possible and give citizens the opportunity to contribute their ideas and see them put to good use in projects that will benefit their locality.
“We believe the environment is not the domain of the few but the mission of the many,” she said.
“We have an opportunity to improve our open spaces and perhaps give those forgotten or...