North London projects aiming to reduce carbon in our atmosphere now have the opportunity to apply for further financial support thanks to a local community fund.

Power Up North London’s (PUNL) community energy fund is open to applications until April 22, with a total pot of £5,000 to be dished out among the successful entries.

PUNL is a non-profit organisation working with north London groups to tackle climate change.

Based in Camden, it has previously worked on schemes such as Hampstead School’s fundraising for solar panels.

This will be the second year that the fund has been available. Last year’s supported projects included planting trees and a wildflower meadow with pupils from Parliament Hill School, with each tree named after an inspirational woman, and providing funding for the Caxton House Community Centre to improve its energy efficiency.

The criteria determining who will receive funding includes the benefit the project will deliver to north London boroughs, in particular Haringey, Camden and Islington, that it should be completed by June 2023, and that it must have clear aims to reduce carbon.

Ian Grant, a director at PUNL, said that this year it will be “looking for more energy-oriented projects, especially [related to] fuel poverty”. However, he added: “We’re still looking at community gardens as they come in.”

In discussing what the money can do for local initiatives, he points to last year's success with the charity Wood that Works, which offers woodworking classes to schools, children with learning difficulties, women’s groups and young offenders.

The project focussed on refurbishing the "Secret Garden" in Balmore Street, making a range of benches, chairs and other furniture so it could be used by nearby Brookfield Primary School as an outdoors space. It is also accessible to residents at certain times.

Ian said: “It covered a lot of our ambitions; to involve a community and to seed something bigger, because that’s linked to a good education outcome and it helps young offenders.

“It was all generations. It covered all sections of society”.

Applications can be made by filling out a form found on the PUNL website.

Decisions on which projects will receive the support are due to be announced by the end of May.