FOR Cardiff’s City Ambition Fund Fuels a Greener City Centre

FOR Cardiff, the capital’s Business Improvement District (BID) has announced the latest round of its City Ambition Fund grants, committing a total of £12,000 to four new environmental improvement projects. This investment, driven by city centre businesses, is set to make Cardiff’s centre a cleaner and greener place to live, work and visit.

This latest round focuses entirely on environmental goals, a key element of the BID’s recently published ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) strategy. The strategy, developed following consultation with their 800+ member businesses, aligns with the Well-being of Future Generations Act and signals a city-wide commitment to sustainability.

“We started the City Ambition Fund because our members wanted to provide a way to bring to life the brilliant ideas Cardiff businesses, residents, and community groups have for our capital,” explained Emily Cotterill, Associate Director at FOR Cardiff. “This year, working towards the city’s ESG goals, we invited applications to fund ideas with a specific environmental focus that will make Cardiff an even better place… and we’re excited to see how the three successful projects develop.”

These four new projects join a diverse roster of 35 initiatives the fund has supported, which aim to promote local culture, enhance the environment and support independent businesses. Notable past projects include the launch of the Cardiff Wine Passport, which has generated over £60,000 in additional revenue for independent city centre bars and restaurants, and local illustrator Jack Skivens’ children’s book, Night of the Animal Wall.

The four projects receiving funding demonstrate a collaborative approach to enhancing Cardiff’s sustainability and community engagement:

1. The Huggard (£3,000)

The long-established centre for adults who are homeless is using its grant to dramatically improve the exterior of its premises on Dumballs Road, a key gateway between the city centre and the Bay. The project will use warm, earthy colours and introduce large planters and customer seating outside its café. The goal is to “create a calm, welcoming environment that promotes a sense of pride amongst those who walk through” and encourage community engagement, with volunteers delivering the work.

2. Keep Wales Tidy (£3,000)

The environmental charity will use its funding for its innovative “Hedge in a Box” scheme. This initiative offers a hands-on approach for businesses to enhance urban biodiversity and establish a network of interconnected green spaces throughout the city centre. Businesses will be able to buy a subsidised box containing ready-prepared planters of 30 native hedging plants, a ladybird tower, a solitary bee box, native bulbs for pollinators, and hand tools for maintenance.

3. Repair Café Wales (£3,000)

This funding will support the charity’s Fix It Feb campaign in February 2026, which encourages citizens to fix rather than replace broken items. The team will deliver training sessions for businesses on the sustainability and well-being gains of a reuse and repair mindset, while also promoting volunteering opportunities for local Repair Cafés.

4. A Playful, Green City Centre – Designed by Us (Grant amount not specified)

Led by Dr Reem Okasha and Hussa Al-Ghunaim, this project will explore how the city centre can become more playful and welcoming for children and families. It will bring together local schools, businesses, and experts to co-design practical ideas for a “vibrant, child-friendly, and nature-rich city centre.”

“We’re fortunate that Cardiff has been recognised by UNICEF as the UK’s first Child Friendly City, and we want to build on this achievement by co-creating design ideas with children that enhance families’ experiences in the city centre,” said Dr Okasha.

These grants represent a portion of the £1.4 million additional investment made by FOR Cardiff’s members to improve the area and create more reasons to visit, with a focus on making it cleaner, greener and safer for everyone.