Opportunity for local organisation to lead on next phase of climate and disability programme
Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership is seeking a Disabled People’s Organisation (DPO) based in Bristol or the wider West of England to deliver a Climate & Disability commission as part of the Community Climate & Nature Action Project. The commission will take place between May 2026 – June 2028 (2 year project) for a budget of £50,000.
Background
For the last two years Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership has coordinated a Climate and Disability programme in collaboration with Climate & Disability Associate Emma Geen and a range of partners as part of the Community Climate & Nature Action Project (CCNA) funded by the National Lottery’s Climate Action Fund.
The Climate & Disability programme built on earlier work by Bristol Disability Equality Forum (led by Emma Geen) in 2021/22 as part of phase 1 of the Community Climate Action Project to develop Bristol’s first community climate action plans.
Phase 3 of the Community Climate & Nature Action project builds on the work delivered in Bristol from 2020-25 and will develop connections with communities from across the West of England (BANES, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire). Over the last 5 years the CCNA project has developed a place-based model for inclusive community led climate and nature action which also responds to inequality and aims to improve quality of life of local people.
Over the last two years the Climate & Disability programme has delivered a diverse range of activity and resources. Find out more.
The current context
It is a complex (but interesting) time to engage the community of Disabled people on climate issues. Examples of eco-ableism and new barriers being created for Disabled people can happen when climate projects aren’t designed with the needs of the Disabled community in mind. This makes the Climate & Disability project vital, given the role it can play in connecting policy and strategy with real people’s lives.
Positive connections and relationships have been established with Bristol City Council and climate sector stakeholders through the project to date, providing positive foundations for this commission to build on.
Work in this space requires a level of care and creative thinking, to support positive outcomes for both the Disabled community and climate change / nature recovery.
Role of commission
We are looking for a Bristol and/or West of England based Disabled People’s Organisation (DPO) who can:
- Be a custodian of the existing community climate and nature action plan for Bristol’s community of Disabled people
- Be an activator and advocate for the priorities within the community climate and nature action plan
- Convene engagement events/conversations with members of the Disabled community across the West of England region (Bristol, BANES, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset)
- Evolve the existing community climate and nature action plan for Bristol’s community of Disabled people for the wider West of England region
- Contribute to the holistic Community Climate & Nature Action Project
Eligibility to apply
The successful organisation will be a Disabled People’s or Equalities Organisation based and operating in the West of England region (Bristol, BANES, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset). They will:
- Have the ability to work with whole community of Disabled people through an intersectional lens (whole of West of England region, pan-impairment, no age restriction)
- Regularly convene and communicate with Disabled people
- Have a successful track record of engagement with, and advocacy on behalf of the Disabled community
- Willingness to work in line with the project’s ways of working
- Have an interest in climate, nature and climate justice (experience of climate and nature project delivery is desirable but not a requirement)
- Be a not-for-profit organisation who is non-political and non-religious
- Have a management board, constitution and a dedicated bank account
- Have a safeguarding policy, equality and diversity policies in place
- Have public liability insurance and staff with DBS (safeguarding) checks in place to deliver work
Budget
The commission budget is £50,000 for a delivery period of two years from May 2026 – June 2028.
This budget can contribute to: staff costs; organisational overheads; engagement/delivery costs; comms and access costs.
Application process
To apply please submit a short expression of interest (no more than 2 sides of A4) responding to the prompts set out in the brief. You can also submit a video / audio expression of interest which directly responds to the prompts
The deadline for expressions of interest is end of day on Friday 27 March 2026.
Find more information about the commissions, eligibility criteria and application process in the full brief. Word version available here.
Find out more about the Community Climate & Nature Action Project
Share to
