Future Woodlands Scotland – The NEN

Scotland’s towns and cities are getting greener with £740,000 awarded to 13 community-led projects

From football pitches to future forests: 13 projects backed by Urban Forestry Challenge Fund

In just two years, the Urban Forestry Challenge Fund has awarded £1,360,000 across 25 projects, bringing the benefits of trees to communities from Aberdeen to Dumfries

The latest round of funding will see £740,000 invested in 13 projects through the Urban Forestry Programme’s Challenge Fund. The programme is a partnership initiative between Future Woodlands Scotland and JERA Nex bp.

Recipients include Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust (ELGT), for their Urban Street Trees Canopy Custodians proramme, and Edible Estates, for their South West Edinburgh Urban Woodlands project.

The fund supports projects that create, enhance and expand urban woodlands, helping to make Scotland’s towns and cities greener, healthier and more resilient places to live. The 2026 awards span communities across the country, backing initiatives that aim to improve biodiversity, strengthen climate change resilience and bring more people into contact with nature in the places they live, work and play.

Since the first projects were funded in 2025, £1,360,000 has been invested, over 6,500 trees have been planted, engaging more than 320 volunteers, and four new urban forestry jobs have been created.

Among the projects awarded funding this year is FEL Scotland’s ‘Trees for Goals’, which will receive £94,500 to support community sports clubs to plant and care for trees in and around their grounds.

The simple but powerful scheme began as a pilot with grassroots football team Alloa Saints where a tree was planted for every goal scored throughout the season. Enough goals were scored to plant around 2,000 trees, helping connect sport with practical environmental action. The programme has grown to include 16 clubs across Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling.

Clara Walker, Executive Director at FEL Scotland, said: “This funding enables us to plant trees where they’ll make the biggest difference, strengthening communities, improving local environments and inspiring climate action through the power of sport. By working with a range of local partners, we can grow greener neighbourhoods and ensure the impact makes a difference now and lasts well into the future.”

Trees for Goals focuses on communities with low tree cover and poor tree equity, helping to bring the benefits of urban woodland to areas where it is needed most. As well as increasing tree cover, the project is designed to leave a legacy by embedding tree care into regular club activity, ensuring that young people and volunteers continue to nurture the spaces they have helped create.

Trees for Goals is one of a wide range of projects supported through the 2026 Urban Forestry Fund, reflecting the diversity of community-led urban greening taking place across Scotland.

Other successful projects in this year’s funding round include Dumfries LIFT’s NANA’s Garden, which was awarded £18,000 to plant native and fruit trees in Lochside while helping local children and families learn more about biodiversity and climate change resilience.

In Dundee, Maxwell Community Centre and Garden’s Dundee Food Forests: The Big Grow is to receive £67,600 to work with community groups and schools to create 25 biodiverse food forests in areas with the greatest tree inequity.

Meanwhile in Aberdeen, Social Juice CIC’s Silver City Trees will receive £20,000 to plant 200 fruit and native trees in priority neighbourhoods, combining greener spaces with practical community skills development.

Des Hackett, Urban Forestry Programme Manager at Future Woodlands Scotland said: “The second year of projects to receive Urban Forestry Challenge Funding demonstrates the growing ambition and creativity of organisations across Scotland to make our urban areas greener and healthier.

“From community sports grounds to neighbourhood woodlands, the 13 projects show how local action can deliver long-term benefits for climate resilience, biodiversity and wellbeing.”

A total of 29 applications were submitted this year, across two competitive grant categories: projects ranging from £2,000 to £20,000, and those ranging from £20,000 to £100,000.

Projects were chosen based on the contribution they could make to the Urban Forestry goal of helping towns and cities across Scotland achieve the 3:30:300 rule: everyone should see three trees from their home; every neighbourhood should have 30% tree canopy and quality green space within 300 metres.

JERA Nex bp’s Thomas Hudson, Morven Project Director, added: “These projects demonstrate the power of community-led action to create lasting environmental change.

“Through the Urban Forestry Challenge Fund, we are supporting initiatives that not only increase tree cover, but also bring people together, build skills and create greener, more resilient neighbourhoods across Scotland.”

Applications for both categories of Urban Forestry Challenge Fund grants will reopen in Autumn. More information on the Urban Forestry programme is available at www.futurewoodlands.org.uk

2026 Urban Forestry Challenge Fund awards

SMALL GRANTS – up to £20,000

LIFT Dumfries
NANA’s Garden: Growing Trees, Skills and Community in Lochside
A community-led greening project in Lochside that will plant native and fruit trees while engaging local children and families in biodiversity, climate resilience and long-term tree care.
CLEAR, Buckhaven and Methil, Fife

Trees, Bees and Fruit
This project will plant fruit trees in gardens, create community orchards and establish new native woodland, alongside resident-led learning in pruning, grafting and tree care.

Kirkton Community Centre, Dundee

Keswick Terrace Greenspace Development
New trees and shrubs will transform local greenspace into a more welcoming, wildlife-friendly area while helping absorb rainfall and reduce local flood risk.

Social Juice CIC, Aberdeen
Silver City Trees
Working in priority neighbourhoods, this project will plant 200 fruit and native trees while helping communities build skills and greener local spaces.

LARGE GRANTS – £20,000-£100,000

Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust, Edinburgh
Urban Street Trees Canopy Custodians
A community-led street tree programme that will replace trees in vacant pits and grass verges in low tree equity areas, creating a model that can be replicated city-wide.
West Lothian Council, West Lothian
Trees and Woodlands in the West
Focused on former mining communities, this project will identify new planting opportunities and work with residents and schools to increase canopy cover in tree-depleted neighbourhoods.
FEL Scotland, Forth Climate Forest Area
Trees for Goals
A practical project supporting community sports clubs to plant and care for trees around their grounds, using football as an accessible route into climate action and biodiversity.
Natural Connections, Tranent, East Lothian
Tranent Tree Town
A three-year community planting project that will help local people grow, plant and care for trees in one of East Lothian’s lowest tree equity areas.
Maxwell Community Centre and Garden, Dundee
Dundee Food Forests: The Big Grow!
Working with community groups, schools and gardens, this project will create 25 biodiverse food forests across Dundee in areas of greatest tree inequity.
The Orchard Project – Glasgow and Inverclyde
Orchard Commons: Planting and Stewardship for Resilient Edible Treescapes
A community-led orchard planting programme that will increase canopy cover in low-canopy neighbourhoods while building long-term local stewardship and skills.
South Lanarkshire Council – South Lanarkshire
Improving Tree Equity in South Lanarkshire’s Lowest-Scoring Urban Areas
Using Community Payback teams, the council will plant 450 standard trees in low-scoring urban areas to deliver lasting environmental and social benefits.
Edible Estates, South West Edinburgh
South West Edinburgh Urban Woodlands
A community-led woodland project across four council estates that combines tree planting, training and local partnerships to create healthier, climate-resilient neighbourhoods.
Details of one further project will be confirmed once contractual arrangements are complete.

Free event for Community Councils

FUTURE WOODLANDS SCOTLAND WEBINAR

Free webinar for Community Councils coming up next month!

Wednesday 17th December 6-7pm

Hear how Future Woodlands Scotland can support communities to create greener, healthier places for people, wildlife, and future generations.

Find out more about the Urban Forestry Challenge Fund which is now open and how communities can apply.

Learn about the 3-30-300 rule and find out the tree equity score for your community!

Sign up and book your free place:

https://tinyurl.com/25jbbt9c

Over £450,000 in funding awarded to seven projects for tree planting in Scotland’s cities and towns

WINDFALL FOR GRANTON COMMUNITY GARDENERS

The Urban Forestry Programme is supporting projects in urban areas to help more people experience the benefits of trees

Future Woodlands Scotland (FWS), the charity dedicated to creating and conserving woodlands across Scotland, has selected the first seven projects to receive large grants of up to £100,000 from its Urban Forestry Programme Challenge Fund.

The Urban Forestry Programme is an ambitious ten-year project that sees FWS working alongside project founding partner bp to support and improve green spaces in Scotland’s cities, towns, and urban areas.

The seven successful projects focus on increasing access to green spaces in underserved areas, promoting biodiversity, and enhancing the quality of life for residents. They aim to create a long-lasting impact on local communities, offering opportunities for outdoor education, mental and physical health improvement, and strengthening community ties.

The projects include:

Govanhill Baths Community Trust, Creative Canopy Project, Glasgow (above)

An arts and environmental project based in Govanhill which invites residents, artists and growers to co-create a dispersed orchard across the neighbourhood.

Glasgow City Council, The Glasgow Canopy Project

Planting street trees, woodland planting, hedgerows and habitat creation in the Govan and Dalmarnock areas of Glasgow.

St Marks Primary School, Planting our Way to a Better Future, Glasgow

Planting a combination of whips and standard trees in school grounds in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire.

Edible Estates, Nature Around Us, Edinburgh (above)

Working with residents, schools and community organisations to establish woodlands and orchards within two council housing estates in Edinburgh.

West Lothian Council, West Lothian Urban Tree Planting Project

Planting trees in parks and public green spaces, residential areas and school grounds and giving residents the opportunity to be involved.

South Lanarkshire Council, Removing Barriers to Tree Planting

Planting trees in strategic locations across South Lanarkshire, with a link to Clyde Climate Forest to allow collaboration with partners.

City of Edinburgh Council, Canopy Communities Project

A partnership project with Granton Community Gardeners to support tree planting and ecological connectivity in three areas of the city including co-design with residents.

Funding for these projects follows an announcement earlier this year about the first three projects – Friends of Inch Park, Friends of Linn Park and Norton Park SCIO – to receive small grants of almost £51,000 between them.

A total of 33 applications were submitted across two competitive grant categories: projects ranging from £2,000 to £20,000, and those ranging from £20,000 to £100,000.

Shireen Chambers, CEO of FWS said: “It’s been fantastic to see the response to the first year of the Urban Forestry Programme Challenge Fund with 10 projects selected for funding across both grant categories.

“We looked for projects with a strong urban focus which prioritise areas most in need of trees and woodlands. We want to ensure everyone can benefit from trees – by learning about them, engaging in their care or simply spending time around them.

“These greening projects will bring more trees into the heart of our towns and cities – enhancing spaces, strengthening communities and helping more people connect with nature.

“We are proud to lead this important initiative with the backing of our founding partner bp and we look forward to seeing how these projects create lasting change over the coming years.”

Projects were chosen based on the contribution they could make to the Urban Forestry Programme goal of helping towns and cities across Scotland achieve the 3:30:300 rule: everyone should see three trees from their home, every neighbourhood should have 30% tree canopy and quality green space within 300 metres

The City of Edinburgh Council was awarded £100,000 over three years to recruit a Canopy Development Officer for its Canopy Communities project.

The project will support the co-design of greener spaces in three areas of the city, educating residents on species, biodiversity and the importance of trees, with the aim of achieving 30% canopy cover.

City of Edinburgh Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “Trees make life better for everyone and this is an opportunity to plant more, where people want them.

“We know just how important green spaces are to people’s health and wellbeing and initiatives like Canopy Communities, alongside others like our commitment to become a Million Tree City by 2030 and our Thriving Green spaces 2050 strategy, are about involving communities to create, protect, and sustain woodland and biodiversity across Edinburgh.

“I’m delighted with this funding, which will let us progress essential work on our Canopy Communities project. It recognises the impact this project will have on enhancing and growing green space in the city where it is most needed.”

Increasing the number of trees in Scotland’s cities and towns is crucial in supporting the journey to net zero and delivering a wide range of socio-economic benefits. Urban tree cover is currently less than 16%, much lower than the EU average of 30.2%.

Applications for funding were assessed using the Tree Equity tool, which was created to address imbalances in urban tree distribution by American Forests, a US non-profit organisation, and was brought to the UK by the Woodland Trust and Centre for Sustainable Healthcare.

In addition to the 10 funded projects, the Urban Forestry Programme has also supported two pilot projects: a fruit and nut tree planting project in Stirling, and a tree warden volunteer scheme in Glasgow.

Applications for the 2025 Urban Forestry Programme Challenge Fund will open in November.

More information on the Urban Forestry programme is available at www.futurewoodlands.org.uk

Future Woodlands Scotland announces community grants

Three community projects are to receive funding from a pot of up to £10 million to plant more trees in Scotland’s cities and towns
A community orchard, tree planting and community wellbeing initiative and a local nature reserve are the first projects to benefit from the Urban Forestry Programme

Future Woodlands Scotland (FWS), the charity dedicated to creating and conserving woodlands across Scotland, has selected the first three projects to receive grants of up to £20,000 from its Urban Forestry Programme.

This first round of funding will support projects that improve tree visibility, canopy cover, access to greenspaces, nature enhancement and education on biodiversity, food sustainability and climate literacy.

The first three projects to receive funding are:

Friends of Inch Park (FOIP), Edinburgh

A community orchard and planting project with an arts-based engagement programme that will improve canopy cover and raise awareness of nurturing trees.

Friends of Linn Park, Glasgow
A tree restoration and enhancement programme at a nature reserve in Glasgow that includes facilities for community groups and aims to enhance woodland to provide a better-quality environment for local communities.

3. Norton Park SCIO, Edinburgh

A small-scale tree planting and green space improvement project to increase tree visibility and enhance access to greenspaces for local people and the wider community.

Shireen Chambers, CEO of FWS said: “By funding these three urban greening projects, we are investing in sustainable solutions that will not only benefit the environment by creating leafier neighbourhoods but also improve the wellbeing of local communities and encourage people to spend more time outdoors, interacting with their communities.

“Our goal is for everyone to benefit from trees, whether through learning about them, actively engaging in their care or simply spending time among them.

“We are proud to lead this important initiative with the backing of our founding partner bp and we look forward to seeing how these projects develop and reporting positive outcomes over the coming years.”

A total of 33 applications were submitted across two funding levels: projects ranging from £2,000 to £20,000, and those ranging from £20,000 to £100,000. The selected projects fall within the former funding range.

The projects were chosen based on the significant contribution they could make to the Urban Forestry Programme goal of helping towns and cities across Scotland achieve the 3:30:300 rule: everyone should see three trees from their home, every neighbourhood should have 30% tree canopy and quality green space within 300 metres.

The Friends of Inch Park community orchard and tree care project will ensure that residents can see at least three trees from their homes, which they have personally planted.

Ian Robertson, Secretary at Friends of Inch Park (FOIP), said: “We’ve been working on what more trees and planting in the area can do for people and for nature, so we’re delighted to be awarded an Urban Forestry Challenge Fund grant from Future Woodlands Scotland.

“With it, we can develop a new fully integrated community orchard and tree care project. We’re really looking forward to working across the generations to grow skills and understanding in caring for trees and the local landscape. This funding will take things to a whole new level for us.”

Scotland’s urban tree cover (under 16%) is much lower than the EU average of 30.2%. Increasing the number of trees in its cities and towns is crucial in supporting the journey to net zero and delivering a wide range of socio-economic benefits.

Applications for funding were measured by the Tree Equity tool, which was created to address imbalances in urban tree distribution by American Forests, a US non-profit organisation, and was brought to the UK by the Woodland Trust and Centre for Sustainable Healthcare.

Tom Hudson, bp’s project director, offshore wind said: ““bp has been providing funding towards Scottish woodland creation for over 20 years and is delighted to continue this. We look forward to seeing our support brought to life by these three community projects.”

bp’s contribution to the programme represents a significant part of its commitments to Scotland, which were made as part of the ScotWind bid for its Morven offshore wind project.

The Urban Forestry Programme has already funded two pilot projects: a fruit and nut tree planting project in Stirling and a tree warden volunteer scheme in Glasgow.

Successful applicants for the larger grant programme, which offers funding of up to £100k, will be announced in Spring. More information on the Urban Forestry Programme is available at www.futurewoodlands.org.uk

National Tree Week: Future Woodlands Scotland and bp sign contract for £10m Urban Forestry Programme

As tree lovers across the country gather to celebrate National Tree Week, Future Woodlands Scotland (FWS) announces a partnership with bp to help deliver greener cities, towns, and urban areas through an innovative forestry programme.

The charity, which is dedicated to creating and conserving woodlands across Scotland, has signed a contract with bp, whereby the energy major intends to commit funding of a total of £10million to the newly created urban forestry programme as part of the development of its Scottish offshore windfarm, Morven, jointly developed with EnBW.

A key ambition of the programme is to use new and emerging technologies to target the urban areas where creating greenspace will be of the most benefit to people.

The funding has enabled the charity to recruit its first urban forestry manager who will lead the delivery of the urban forestry programme, which it expects to launch in mid-2024.

FWS chief executive, Shireen Chambers, said: “We’re excited to be working with bp to take this next step in the development of our Urban Forestry Programme for the potential benefit of more than 4.5 million people living in Scotland’s urban areas.

“We are committed to making a positive impact on the urban environment, delivering substantial benefits for people, the environment, and the economy through the creation of a diverse network of trees and woodlands in and around our urban settlements.

“With the appointment of our first programme manager, Des Hackett, who has a wealth of experience in public policy and green space development, we can get down to the detail of developing the programme and look forward to its official launch next year.”

Urban forestry is the management of trees and forest resources in and around community ecosystems for their present and potential contributions to the physiological, sociological, and economic well-being of urban society.

Research shows that, in addition to the health and well-being benefits associated with access to nature, urban forestry can result in economic gains. According to a recent study by Forest Research and Defra, individual trees in the UK’s urban and rural areas are worth up to £3.8 bn per year.

The economic value is based on the role trees and woodlands play in sequestering and storing carbon, regulating temperatures, strengthening flood resilience, and reducing noise and air pollution.

In Edinburgh, trees and woodlands help remove nearly 200,000 tonnes of airborne pollutants every year, and in Glasgow, research found that the urban forest structure intercepted 812,000 m2 of rainfall each year and removed nearly 300,000 tonnes of air pollution.

Ms Chambers added: “With more than 80% of people in Scotland living in urban areas, it’s important that they can access green networks where they live.

“The purpose of this programme is to create leafier neighbourhoods, including trees in parks, streets, amenity areas and along canals and rivers, which encourages people to spend more time outdoors interacting with their communities, which in turn promotes health and well-being.”

With the UK’s largest annual tree celebration National Tree Week about to start, FWS chief executive, Shireen Chambers and Richard Haydock, bp’s programme director, UK offshore wind, marked the new contract signing by planting an oak tree in the Scottish capital at Hunters Hall Park, located in the south of the city. It will contribute to the nature restoration along the Pentland to Portobello green corridor.

Richard Haydock, bp’s programme director, UK offshore wind said: “We are proud of bp’s long-established partnership with Future Woodlands Scotland.

“The Urban Forestry Programme agreement marks an important expansion of our support. We look forward to launching the programme in 2024, which will focus on increasing the number of trees and green spaces in Scotland’s cities and towns.”

bp has supported the regeneration of woodlands in Scotland for more than 20 years and is committed to making a positive impact to restore and enhance biodiversity where its people live and work.