The Heritage Fund is currently accepting applications for the Community Woodlands 2020 grant program.

The Community Woodlands is a capital grant scheme intended to restore, create, connect and manage woodlands in Wales.

Funding Information

The Community Woodlands scheme will offer:

• grants of £10,000–£250,000 for woodland capital projects
• up to 100% funding
• funding for not-for-profit organisations with a bank account and a constitution

Essential Criteria 

• Good quality, well-managed woodlands in line with the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS): "the right tree in the right place"
• The UKFS defines the approach of the governments in the UK to sustainable forest management. This applies to all woodland.
• The standard covers different elements of sustainable forest management including:
  • biodiversity
  • climate change
  • historic environment
  • landscape
  • people
  • soil
  • water
• Accessible to the public
• Minimum Size
  • There are no limits to the size or configuration of areas of trees to be planted.
  • New plantings could be:
    • the creation of a new block of woodland on a derelict quarry site
    • street trees within an urban neighbourhood
    • a broad corridor including a new footpath to link two existing woodlands
  • Improvements to existing woodland could be:
    • the adoption of a woodland by the local community
    • thinning
    • installation of footpaths
    • maintenance of degraded access facilities in heavily used community woodlands
    • For all schemes, tree or woodland management plans will be required. If these are not already in place then the grant can cover the costs of preparing a management plan.
• Community Involvement
  • These projects must have significant input from local people. For your project to be a success, the range of people benefiting from heritage will be more diverse than before your project started.
  • Community involvement will help encourage people to use woodlands through the provision of footpaths, nature trails, sculptures etc.
  • Ideally, community involvement would also include:
    • activities to involve people in the restoration and creation of the woodlands
    • economic opportunities for local enterprise
    • innovation and development
    • educational activities
    • management of the woodlands through the setting up of voluntary groups, school groups, new enterprises etc.

Requirements for Projects 

Your project must:

• create, accelerate restoration or enhancement of community woodlands
• deliver accessible woodlands for all to enjoy
• be delivered by between June 2020–March 2020
• create a woodland with a plan for future maintenance
• be led by or co-produced with the local community and empower them to create and care for woodlands
• meet the needs of local people, as a public amenity and designed to contribute to the provision of ecosystem services within the local area.
• demonstrate multiple benefits spanning environmental, social, economic and cultural wellbeing
• consider Natural Resources Wales areas statement maps, UKFS guidance on the areas suitable for planting and the woodland opportunities map for guidance on areas for new planting
• The Fund have a particular interest in areas that:
  • are focused in areas of deprivation
  • enable connected nature networks across the length and breadth of Wales

For more information, visit Heritage Fund.