A group of people walking together along a tree-lined park path. Photograph by Francis Augusto

Urban health

Centring voices from communities most at risk from the health effects of climate change

The climate crisis is a health crisis, and in urban places, climate change is one of the most significant long-term challenges to achieving health equity.

This is because people who live in precarious housing conditions, are economically disadvantaged and with long-term health conditions – including cardiovascular conditions and diabetes – are much more vulnerable to the effects of a change climate, such as extreme heat.

In Lambeth and Southwark, where we work, these are mostly people from Black and other ethnically minoritised communities

However, these communities who are most at risk of the health impacts of climate change are the ones that contribute the least to it – and whose voices are often excluded from activism on climate change.

That’s why we partnered with Do It Now Now to back 17 Black- and Brown-led organisations with grant funding and additional business support through the Climate, Health and Community Fund.

With support from Do It Now Now, grantees built on existing interventions and worked with their communities to ensure the conversation around climate change leaves no one behind.

Who we're supporting

492 Korna Klub, a collective made up of African, Caribbean and Asian artists, facilitators, and community influencers from south London that use the arts to create dialogue about social, economic and political issues.
Active Living Support, an organisation that works with young people from Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon. Our funding helped develop a programme to help children with autism and special education needs to use cycling as an alternative mode of transport.
Bizzie Bodies, who provides a wide range of activities centred around delivering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), upcycling and green tech related activities for young people and their parents in Southwark.
Black Archaeo, a new project designed to provide young with opportunities to engage with heritage, the natural world and the impact of climate change.
Black Farmers Market – who have used funding to empower Black farmers and, Black-run community growing projects and local allotment holders.
BIGKID Foundation – a charity in Lambeth that tackles the issue of youth violence. With our funding, they built on a project that uses gardening and healthy activities to engage disadvantaged young people.
Climate Reparations Network – who connect organisations to build on the collective power of the networks for transform systems and advocate for reparations to paid to communities experiencing the worst impacts of climate change.
Feed Me Good – a charity that specialises in developing and delivering bespoke health and wellbeing Continuing Professional Development accredited programmes for communities.
Hello Beautiful Foundation – a cancer charity that promotes non-toxic practice, positive social change and sustainability to improve health and wellbeing.
Nature Vibezzz – a charity that organises forest school sessions and environmental and nature conservation sessions across London for young people and their families.
No Limit Cycling Club – a non-profit cycling group with the ambition of making cycling a mainstream activity for all. The club is passionate about promoting inclusivity and an active lifestyle.
The Soul Shack LDN – a youth-led social enterprise set up to promote the health and wellbeing of young people, educate community members about conservation and assist with sustainable activities.
Together We Ride – a community-driven initiative set up during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide a space for people of colour to enjoy cycling.
Uffo Athletic and Leisure Group – an organisation that promotes access to physical activities in the Somali and Muslim community, through walking, running, football and athletics.
UpCYCLE – who run bicycle maintenance and cycle skills courses for young people in Brixton. Their mission is to address the lack of diversity in London’s cycling community.
Yuniya – an organisation that focuses on using African mythologies to communicate environmental messages and showcase the intersection of culture, community and nature.
Wood and Water – a non-profit narrative change consultancy based in Southwark that focuses on environmental and international issues that are driven by colonial, extractive, and oppressive systems.

Through the partnership, we’ve learnt that funders, policymakers and mainstream climate campaigners need to broaden their understanding of what climate action is.

By recognising the different ways that people from Black and other minoritised backgrounds take part in climate activism, show support for communities impacted by climate change, and how a range of cultural practices can intersect with climate activism, they can help build a movement that people from marginalised communities feel included in.

They also need to prioritise supporting community-led action that addresses the issues important to people from minoritised communities – including health inequalities, racism and poverty.

Get in touch

To find out more about our work on climate change and health inequalities, get in touch with Olamide Raheem.

Contact Olamide

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Become a partner

We want to hear from anyone who can help us improve urban health.