Grow Wild Community Programme (United Kingdom)

Deadline: 13-Feb-25

Are you part of a community, youth or voluntary group? Has your group got a project idea to connect local people with nature? Do you know an urban space that would be ideal for a transformation? Apply to join the Grow Wild Community Programme and bring your group’s ideas to life.

Grow Wild is the national outreach programme of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. They contribute to Kew’s mission to understand and protect plants and fungi for the wellbeing of people and the future of all life on Earth.

The Grow Wild Community Programme supports groups and organisations to transform urban spaces for the benefit of people and wildlife by planting and championing UK native plants or fungi.

Grow Wild is seeking 20 fantastic community groups from across the UK to join the programme in 2025.

Funding Information

• Your group will receive:
  • A £2000 grant to transform an urban space with UK native plants or fungi, encourage wildlife and involve your local community.
  • Invitations to online knowledge sharing sessions and talks featuring special guests from Kew and beyond. These sessions are designed to support your project delivery and provide opportunities to connect with other groups taking part in the programme.
  • The opportunity to apply for a £500 follow-on grant for spring 2026, to help support your ongoing activities.

Eligible Projects 

• Projects that will deliver planting / growing activities, with a focus on UK native plants or fungi and enhancing local biodiversity.
  • You can also use your grant to involve people in your project through workshops, events and learning activities, but growing should be at the project’s core.
  • Projects should encourage nature to thrive, having a positive impact for pollinating insects, birds and other wildlife.
• Projects that will transform urban spaces.
  • Spaces could be a single location, such as a community centre garden or multiple smaller locations that are connected through the group’s activity.
• Projects that will involve and benefit the local community.
  • Projects should have the potential to reach at least 300 people.
• Projects led by groups who care about the environment and will use sustainable materials and practices.
  • Grow Wild asks all successful groups to only buy peat-free compost.
• Projects that will work with one or more of Grow Wild’s target audiences:
  • Young people (aged 12-25)
  • People experiencing disadvantage or reduced access to services
  • People who are less engaged with others in their local community
  • People who face barriers to connecting with nature
  • Disabled people
• Projects that can be comfortably completed within the programme timeline.
  • Successful applicants will receive their grant in April 2025.
  • The grant needs to be spent by the end of October 2025.

Expectations

• Grow Wild is looking for groups who are keen to engage with all aspects of the programme. This will include:
  • Letting Grow Wild know how your project is going.
    • Sharing photos of your project in action
    • Keeping a record of how you spend your grant, using a template provided.
    • Completing simple evaluation surveys, to help Grow Wild measure the impact of the Community Programme.
  • Attending Grow Wild’s knowledge sharing sessions and talks.
    • Project leaders should be able to commit to approximately two hours per month between April-October 2025.
    • Sessions are usually held on weekdays or evenings, and they will aim to find times that will work for the majority.
  • Supporting Grow Wild to create a case study about your group’s activity.
    • Grow Wild may ask to visit your project during the summer, to take photos and talk to group participants.
    • Information gathered during visits will be used to build case studies to share with Grow Wild’s wider audience and program

Eligibility Criteria

• Nonprofit organisations such as:
  • Voluntary, youth and community groups
  • Resident’s groups
  • Community associations
  • Health authorities and health boards
• Grow Wild can only fund projects in urban locations.
  • As a guide, urban locations can be defined as settlements with 10,000+ inhabitants.
    • Grow Wild can’t support projects delivered in rural, conservation or protected areas such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).
    • Grow Wild also can’t fund projects requiring planning permission, due to the programme timelines.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Unfortunately, they can’t fund:
  • Schools (look out for the Youth Grant opportunity launching early 2025!).
  • Local Authorities (including Parish Councils) – but they can fund projects led by independent groups on Local Authority land
  • Sole traders or individuals
  • Projects where Grow Wild funds could be used for commercial benefit
  • Organisations and projects outside of the UK

For more information, visit Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.