Virgin Media O2 teams up with Hubbub and George Clarke to award £500,000 to the UK’s best eco projects
Virgin Media O2 and environmental charity Hubbub have joined forces with TV presenter and environmentalist George Clarke to find the UK’s most innovative eco projects – with a share of £500,000 available for initiatives that tackle electronic waste and support digital inclusion.
George, star of hit TV shows George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces and Restoration Man, will help select the winners of the 2023 Time After Time fund, where grants from £25,000 up to £100,000 will be awarded to a variety of organisations, including community groups, charities and social enterprises.
TV Presenter and Architect, George Clarke, said: “Sustainability and community are two causes that I’m incredibly passionate about, which is why it’s an absolute pleasure to be part of this year’s judging panel for Virgin Media O2 and Hubbub’s Time After Time fund.
“It’s a fantastic initiative both tackling the nation’s growing e-waste problem and helping those in need, so I’m really looking forward to seeing the brilliant and inspiring ideas the applicants come up with.”
The Time After Time fund – now in its second year – was established during 2022 in response to the UK’s growing e-waste problem, with the UK producing more electrical waste per person than almost any other country in the world. 10 organisations were awarded a share of £500,000 for projects that prevent and reduce e-waste, including: training programmes to teach young people how to repair electricals, a mobile repair bus which will collect e-waste in hard-to-reach communities across Cornwall, and schemes to encourage students to keep their tech for longer.
This year’s scheme will fund projects that reduce e-waste and address the digital divide. This could include projects that help rehome devices to people in need, with Virgin Media O2 and Hubbub’s research showing that there are more than 19 million unused smartphones and laptops gathering dust in homes and garages across the UK.
Applications for the 2023 Time After Time fund are open now and will close on Friday 20 October 2023.
Visit Time After Time for more information.
