{"id":763,"date":"2026-01-27T10:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T10:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vanel.org.uk\/vanel\/?p=763"},"modified":"2026-01-27T10:47:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T10:47:33","slug":"our-future-starts-here-launches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vanel.org.uk\/vanel\/2026\/01\/our-future-starts-here-launches\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Future Starts Here launches"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Following three years of successfully engaging residents of North East Lincolnshire in meaningful arts and cultural activity connecting people to environmental and social themes, thanks to National Lottery players, Our Future Starts Here <\/strong>has received \u00a31,450,014 over five years, from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This five-year project running from 2025-2030 will deliver a bold, transformational and future-facing public engagement programme that aims to educate, inspire and support more people to take climate action in the North East Lincolnshire region. Creative community activities, including youth-led \u2018influencer\u2019 projects, will increase environmental awareness, inspire community action and generate opportunities for \u2018green skills\u2019 development, linking to locally-based, world-leading green industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This comes from the Climate Action Fund, a \u00a3100 million commitment over 10 years from The National Lottery Community Fund to help reduce the carbon footprint of communities and inspire community-led climate action. This forms part of one of the funder\u2019s four key missions in its 2030 strategy, <\/em>\u2018It starts with community\u2019<\/em><\/a> – supporting communities to be environmentally sustainable. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Future Starts Here<\/strong>, <\/em>originally established in 2022 by Grimsby-based arts organisation The Culture House, sees an evolved initiative into a longer-term and wider partnership project, managed by Voluntary Action North East Lincolnshire (VANEL)<\/strong>. Project Partners include The Culture House, Franklin Sixth Form College, Hammond House Productions and the University of Hull \u2013 who will be monitoring and evaluating Our Future Starts Here <\/em>over the next five years to evidence its impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cHaving access to these kinds of events and cultural experiences really opens up the eyes and minds<\/em>
Audience member 2025<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cLots of interesting activities and performances which I wouldn\u2019t have usually been aware of and didn\u2019t realise I enjoyed until I saw them.\u201d<\/em>
Audience member 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201c[I feel] enriched by a sense of community and shared appreciation of the arts\u201d <\/em>
Audience member 2025<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The five-year programme will include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n