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England’s Community Forests overview table

Published 21 December 2021

Applies to England

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Scotland
• Publication for Wales

1. Introduction

England’s Community Forests offer highly bespoke grants to all landowners within a Community Forest area, through their multi-million pound Trees for Climate woodland establishment programme. These grants cover all costs associated with the creation of a new woodland, as well as on-going funding to support the maintenance of the trees, and associated infrastructure such as fencing and gates. There is no minimum or maximum scheme size; Trees for Climate funding has supported very large schemes (such as a new, 160ha woodland in North Yorkshire) as well many, much smaller projects. Grants for hedgerow planting are also offered through the programme.

To find out if you qualify, visit the England’s Community Forests website.

2. The White Rose Forest

2.1 Covers North and West Yorkshire

2.2 Overview

The White Rose Forest team is here to provide free support for landowners and their agents to develop tree planting and woodland creation projects across West and North Yorkshire. We have access to a wide range of funding options for projects of all sizes. Our expert project managers can guide your project from an initial plan or idea, through the White Rose Forest Delivery Pathway to delivery on the ground. We can provide any additional support you require by accessing the wide range of technical and professional expertise that exists across the White Rose Forest partnership.

2.3 Contact

Find out more on the White Rose Forest website.

For landowner enquiries about grants and support offered in the White Rose Forest area, please contact the team by email at whiteroseforest@kirklees.gov.uk or complete the landowner contact form on the White Rose Forest website.

3. City of Trees

3.1 Covers Greater Manchester

3.2 Overview

City of Trees is an innovative and exciting movement that aims to transform the landscape and quality of life for people across Greater Manchester. City of Trees works with a wide range of landowners and can offer a range of grants and support to plant trees and woodlands at any scale across Greater Manchester, both through the Trees for Climate programme, and through other funding streams. The City of Trees team will work with landowners to plan the best package of support to meet their requirements.

3.3 Contact

Find out more on the City of Trees website.

For landowner enquiries about grants and support offered in the City of Trees area, please contact Pete Stringer on 07759369236 or email pete@cityoftrees.org.uk.

4. The Greenwood Community Forest

4.1 Covers 161 square miles of west Nottinghamshire

4.2 Overview

By working with a range of organisations, landowners and volunteer groups within the Greenwood area and more widely across Nottinghamshire, Greenwood Community Forest seeks to support and facilitate new woodland establishment, the management of local green spaces, and to champion all the benefits for people, the environment and the local economy that flow from this. Greenwood Community Forest offers grants and professional advice to all landowners within their area, through the Trees for Climate woodland establishment programme.

4.3 Contact

Find out more on the Greenwood Forest website.

For landowner enquiries about grants and support offered in the Greenwood area, please contact the Woodland Creation Officer on 0115 993 2600 or email greenwood@nottscc.gov.uk.

5. The Great Western Community Forest

5.1 Covers over 168 square miles stretching from the North Wessex Downs to the River Thames

Now in its 26th year, The Great Western Community Forest is committed bringing local people and organisations together to create a better environment. With the town of Swindon at its heart, the forest covers an area of 39,000 hectares. The Great Western Community Forest offers grants and professional advice to all landowners within their area, through the Trees for Climate woodland establishment programme.

5.2 Contact

Find out more about the Great Western Community Forest on their website.

For landowner enquiries about grants and support offered in the Great Western area, please email jwilshaw@swindon.gov.uk.

6. HEYwoods

6.1 Covers Kingston upon Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire

6.2 Overview

HEYwoods delivers a strategy for trees and woodland in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire, to improve the urban, rural and industrial landscapes of Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire through the creation of a functional green infrastructure based on trees and woodland. HEYwoods work with government agencies, landowners, private companies, environmental charities, community organisations, and both local authorities. HEYwoods offers grants and professional advice to all landowners within their area, through the Trees for Climate woodland establishment programme.

6.3 Contact

Find out more on the HEYwoods website.

For landowner enquiries about grants and support offered in the HEYwoods area, please contact the team on 01482 393726 or info@heywoods.org.uk.

7. The Forest of Marston Vale

7.1 Covers Bedfordshire

7.2 Overview

The Forest of Marston Vale have been creating new woodland and green spaces in Bedfordshire for over 20 years, and cover an area of 61 square miles between Bedford and Milton Keynes. Through the Trees for Climate programme the Forest of Marston Vale is offering attractive finance packages to farmers, other landowners and community organisations. Their experienced woodland advisors will work with you to develop and deliver tree planting schemes that integrate with business plans and objectives, and make real financial - as well as environmental - sense.

7.3 Contact

For enquiries about grants and support offered in the Marston Vale area, please contact Nick Marsh on nick.marsh@marstonvale.org or by telephone: 07904 633570.

8. Forest of Mercia

8.1 Cover Staffordshire and the West Midlands

9. Overview

Forest of Mercia is a Community Interest Company and has a long track record of delivering successful environmental projects in Staffordshire and the West Midlands. They have worked in the Forest of Mercia area for 30 years with interested individuals and groups developing the environment. The Forest of Mercia offers grants and professional advice to all landowners within their area, through the Trees for Climate woodland establishment programme.

9.1 Contact

Find out more on the Forest of Mercia website.

For landowner enquiries about grants and support offered in the Forest of Mercia area, please contact the team on 01922 417770 or info@forestofmercia.com.

10. Forest of Avon Trust

10.1 Covers West of England/former Avon catchment, including Bristol and Bath

10.2 Overview

The Forest of Avon Trust works with partners and landowners across the West of England to plant trees, engage and involve people in their local woodlands and improve the management of existing woodlands. The Forest of Avon Plan: A Tree and Woodland Strategy for the West of England was launched in June 2021 and the Trust is leading on its implementation.

Highly flexible grants and support are available for landowners across Bristol, Bath and NE Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire to support all forms of planting of any size, including rural woodlands, urban and parkland planting, hedgerows, wood pasture and other agroforestry, natural regeneration, orchards and projects delivering multiple objectives which may include biodiversity, public access, timber, catchment management and landscape enhancement.

10.3 Contact

Find out more on the Forest of Avon Trust website.

Contact their Trees for Climate team on any aspect of the grant to help develop a proposal: alex.stone@forestofavontrust.org 0117 963 3383.

11. Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest

11.1 Cover Plymouth and part of South Devon

11.2 Overview

Announced in June 2021, the Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest will stretch from the heart of the city to the edge of the moor, with an ambition to deliver 1,900 hectares of forest to form a mosaic of different habitats. Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest is seeking interested landowners for planting starting in 2022 within their area, through the Trees for Climate woodland establishment programme.

11.3 Contact

Find out more on the Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest website.

For landowner enquiries about grants and support offered in the Plymouth and South Devon area, please contact PSDCF@plymouth.gov.uk.

12. The Mersey Forest

12.1 Covers Merseyside and Cheshire

The Mersey Forest works with a range of landowners in Merseyside and Cheshire, providing independent advice about grants and funding to plant new woodland or to help manage existing woodland in the area. With over 25 years of experience growing a network of woods and greenspaces across the area, The Mersey Forest Team offers solid, no-strings advice, helping landowners every step of the way, from site visits to filling in grant applications.

12.2 Contact

Find out more on The Mersey Forest website.

For landowner enquiries about grants and support offered in The Mersey Forest area, please contact the team on 01925 816217 or mail@merseyforest.org.uk.

13. Thames Chase Community Forest

13.1 Covers 40 square miles in Brentwood, Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Thurrock and Essex

13.2 The Thames Chase Community Forest is a remarkable landscape initiative, actively transforming 40 square miles of the landscape in East London and South West Essex, guided by the Thames Chase Plan. Launched in 1990, the Thames Chase Community Forest now celebrates 30 years of landscape regeneration, transforming the green environment for the 650,000 population living through and around its boundaries. Thames Chase offers grants and professional advice to all landowners within their area, through the Trees for Climate woodland establishment programme.

13.3 Contact

Find out more on the Thames Chase Community Forest website.

For landowner enquiries about grants and support offered in the Thames Chase area, please contact Dave Bigden on 07746 593527 or david.bigden@thameschase.org.uk.

14. Cumbria Coastal Community Forest

14.1 Covers the districts of Barrow, Allerdale, Copeland and South Lakeland

14.2 Overview

Announced in November 2021, Cumbria Coastal Community Forest will create corridors of woodland, ensuring coastal communities from Barrow to Carlisle will be better connected to nature, allowing them to enjoy the health and well-being benefits of being out in nature. As part of its work, Cumbria Coastal Community Forest will work with landowners across the area, to support tree planting and can offer grants and professional advice to all landowners through the Trees for Climate woodland establishment programme.

14.3 Contact

Find out more on the Cumbria Woodlands website.

For landowner enquiries about grants and support offered in the Cumbria Coastal Community Forest area, please contact Cumbria Woodlands at info@cumbriawoodlands.co.uk.

15. North East Community Forest

15.1 Newcastle, Gateshead, North and South Tyneside, Sunderland and Durham

15.2 Overview

Announced in July 2021, the North East Community Forest sees six local authorities joining forces with environmental organisations to plant trees across the region. The initiative aims to plant up to 500 hectares of trees by 2025, with a long-term goal to increase canopy cover across the north east to 30% by 2050 – almost double the current national average. North East Community Forest offers grants and professional advice to all landowners within their area, through the Trees for Climate woodland establishment programme.

15.3 Contact

Find out more on the North East Community Forest website.

For landowner enquiries about grants and support offered in the North East Community Forest area, please contact northeastcommunityforest@newcastle.gov.uk.