Deadline: 21-Oct-21
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 https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/publications/community-woodlands-guidance