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Leeds Older People’s Forum And Leeds City Council Collaborate To Improve Air Quality For The Vulnerable

Zurich Community Trust has awarded a total of £300,000 in sustainability grants to 31 charity partners over the past three years. The funding has helped bridge financial gaps and tackle additional challenges faced by charities such as scaling sustainability efforts despite the cost-of-living crisis, while providing charities with essential skills and support to remain resilient and effective.

As part of Zurich Community Trust’s broader commitment to sustainability, all 56 of our local UK charity partners were invited to apply for a grant to support a specific sustainability project or goal. The grant criteria align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which includes affordable and clean energy, responsible consumption and production, good health and wellbeing and gender equality.

Carla Mandis, Advocacy, DEIB & Sustainability Manager for Zurich Community Trust
Sustainability is a top priority for all businesses and an increasing concern for charities. We know that many local and smaller charities may not have the resources, budget, or expertise to identify and implement sustainable changes. That’s why we created the sustainability fund. It gives our local charity partners the chance to apply for grants dedicated solely to sustainability projects—whether that’s cutting greenhouse gas emissions, boosting recycling, reducing food waste, or advancing best practices in culture, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

All of these efforts help our charity partners achieve more sustainable outcomes and strengthen their long-term success. We’re incredibly proud of this initiative and are committed to growing it, offering our partners meaningful support above and beyond our annual grants, which help with their day-to-day operations.

Leeds Older People’s Forum And Leeds City Council Collaborate To Improve Air Quality For The Vulnerable

A £10,000 grant was awarded to the Leeds Older People’s Forum, who in partnership with Leeds City Council, launched the Home Air Quality project to highlight the impact of indoor air pollution on health, particularly among older people and those living with dementia in Leeds.

Working with the council’s Public Health team, a series of interactive workshops were delivered across Leeds targeting vulnerable groups identified through the air quality health needs assessments. A workforce video and other resources were created to support ongoing training within the city’s Neighbourhood Networks and dementia-friendly community groups.

Ventilating rooms, cooking on the back of electric hobs and burning fewer candles were just some of the things people said they would do to help improve indoor air pollution.

The project supports the ambitions of the Leeds Air Quality Strategy providing practical resources for healthcare workers and community organisations to help raise awareness of how poor indoor air quality can impact health and what people can do to improve air quality in their own homes.

Joanne Volpe, Chief Executive at Leeds Older People’s Forum

Councillor Fiona Venner, Leeds City Council executive member for equalities, health and wellbeing, said:
“We welcome the opportunity provided through the Zurich Community Trust to work with the Leeds Older People’s Forum to raise awareness of the impact of poor indoor air quality on the health of older people. This has allowed us to educate the older people on the harmful effects of air pollution and provide useful tips that everyone can do at home to reduce the amount of pollution they are exposed to.

“We will continue to work with our Leeds Neighbourhood Networks throughout the autumn and winter to raise more awareness using the materials delivered from the grant, allowing us to educate more people on improving their air quality indoors.”