International Tree Foundation Accepting Applications for 2021 Planting Season

Funding for community groups and voluntary organisations across the UK to protect and plant trees in their local communities.

The Foundation offers grants to support the conservation, restoration and protection of the UK’s indigenous trees, woodlands, and forests, whilst promoting grassroots community engagement with tree planting and raising communal awareness of the importance of trees and forests to both the environment and human well-being.

Applications are invited from community-based organisations, such as schools, community groups and non-governmental organisations.

The funding can cover costs that directly relate to tree planting projects on land that is publicly accessible, such as parks, schools, rights of way or land managed by community groups.

The project should promote indigenous tree species (including ‘honorary’ natives where appropriate), whilst encouraging community cohesion and having clear plans for sustainability.

In addition, the project must meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • Engage children and young adults in tree planting and learning about trees.
  • Engage vulnerable groups and groups with low access to woodlands.
  • Conserve existing ancient trees and indigenous woodlands as well as new planting.
  • Create biodiversity habitat.
  • Conserve soil and water.
  • Demonstrate new approaches such as agroforestry.
  • Support rewilding and natural regeneration.
  • Support work or research on tree pest and disease resistance and climate change. adaptation.
  • Support urban tree planting.

Two tiers of funding are available:

  • Grants of up to £1,000 for projects of up to one year in duration.
  • Grants of up to £6,000 for large scale projects planting between 1,000 and 5,000 trees. This would be most suitable for community woodland or hedging projects.

The deadline for applications is 16 December 2021.

(This report was the subject of a GRANTfinder Newsflash.)