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

WINDFALL FOR GRANTON COMMUNITY GARDENERS

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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: 

  1. 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. 

  1. Glasgow City Council, The Glasgow Canopy Project

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

  1. 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. 

  1. 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. 

  1. 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. 

  1. 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. 

  1. 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

Granton Community Gardeners AGM

WEDNESDAY 19th MARCH from 5.30 – 6.30pm

at ROYSTON WARDIEBURN COMMUNITY CENTRE

Our AGM is coming up: Wednesday 19th March 5.30-6.30 at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre. (room F40, upstairs -there’s an accessible lift).

You’re all invited! As well as some formal business like the presentation of accounts and trustee election, we’ll do a wee review of the past year, and a look ahead to the coming one.

We’ll provide some light refreshments, so if you’re planning to come it’s helpful if you can message us so we know numbers.

If you’re a member you should already have an invite, but please note we’ve had to change the venue as PCHP will now be closed that week for electrical works.

If you’re not a member but would like to sign up, all the relevant info is here:

https://forms.gle/wQet38pCgZpQkLYi6

Burns Night Community Ceilidh: Tickets go on sale tomorrow

Coming soon! Our 11th Annual Burns Night Community Ceilidh!

Saturday 25th January 5-8.30 at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre.

Tickets on sale from tomorrow – Monday 13th January.

With Pilton Community Health Project 

Royston Wardieburn Community Centre 

Tinderbox Collective and many more..

Bake Sale at Granton Community Garden

WEDNESDAY 27 NOVEMBER from 1 – 4pm

NEXT Wednesday afternoon, a group are running this bake sale, as a fundraiser for a local disabled person.

Donations of baked treats are welcome and can be brought along on the day..

We’ll also have our regular gardening club open drop-in (1-4pm) and free lunch at 2pm. Dress for the weather!

Later at 5pm, we’ll also have our regular monthly community meal with the Scran Van. Free, all welcome! (Weds 27th Nov)

Community gardening project brings together over fifteen nationalities in North Edinburgh

Granton Community Gardeners features on a new episode of the Carbon Copy Podcast

A community-led food growing charity, based on Wardieburn Road in North Edinburgh, has been featured on the latest podcast episode from climate charity Carbon Copy.

Granton Community Gardeners, which was founded by a group of neighbours in 2010, is now a flourishing and vital community organisation, with weekly gardening and cooking sessions, a chicken co-op, cycle repair pop-ups and a beautiful permanent garden space used by diverse groups from around the area.

Speaking to podcast host Isabelle Sparrow, Mary, one of the co-founders of the charity, explained why a project like this is so important: “We have over fifteen different nationalities that come here.

[People come from] Germany, France, Kenya, India, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria…I wish each community could have something like this. When you come here, you eat fresh food, you engage yourself, your mind is relaxed, your wellbeing [improves]. You are not bored. When you come here, sometimes you work, even if you don’t work, you come and sit and eat!”

Granton Community Gardeners has recently been recognised for its important work by being selected as part of the Nature Neighbourhoods programme.

Led by the RSPB, WWF-UK and National Trust and funded by National Lottery Communities Fund and the Co-op, Nature Neighbourhoods is a UK-wide programme supporting projects in towns and cities that are helping to connect people with nature and wildlife.

Speaking on the podcast, Rory Crawford who is managing the programme for the National Trust said: “Community organisations are doing brilliant work at the community level in many of our towns and cities, and nature organisations are doing some excellent work at the national level, and you know in some places doing some really great work in towns and cities too.

“But there can often be a disconnect between those two parts of the sector. One bit which is perhaps higher capacity and works on big national policy issues, and another bit which is very much focused on the local: what matters to an individual place.

“We need to be able to work more meaningfully in towns and cities. We need more nature in towns and cities. We just need to have it. That’s where people will get that first spark if we’re going to have any hope of solving the nature crisis … it’s all about hearing what a community needs and wants from nature in their place.

“And that’s our starting point for it. So that’s why we’re working with anchor organisations in Nature Neighbourhoods like Granton Community Gardeners.”

To learn more about Granton Community Gardeners and how the Nature Neighbourhoods programme is supporting this and other local projects around the UK, listen to All Nature: Nourishing Connections, on the Carbon Copy website or wherever you get your podcasts.

Tomorrow: Granton Harvest Festival

🍂🍁Harvest Festival at Granton Community Gardeners🍁🍂

It’s that time of the year again – crisp air and vibrant leaves! Come celebrate Harvest Festival at Granton Community Gardens, a family-friendly event full of fun, great food, and community spirit.

📅When: Tomorrow 14th of September 3-6pm

📍Where: Granton Community Gardens on Wardieburn Road

Come celebrate the harvest season with your friends, family, and neighbours. There’s something for everyone!

#harvestfestival

#community

#communityevents

#neighbours

#pchp40

Food Access and Sharing Points across North Edinburgh this winter

COMMUNITY FOOD SUPPORT AS WINTER ARRIVES

PILTON Community Health Project have updated their Food Access & Sharing Points document.

Trying to get by on whatever income we have can be incredibly challenging for many of us, particularly in the winter months.

Take a look on here to find our where you can get a meal, hot drink or groceries.

If you’d like a hard copy of this to take home, please pop in and ask. Also, please share with any neighbours or local friends to make sure everyone knows about these.

Tomorrow: Winter Warmer at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre

COMMUNITY EVENT – WEDNESDAY 29 NOVEMBER from 9.30am

Granton Community Gardeners become local landowners!

IT’S OFFICAL: We now own our Community Garden at 10 Wardieburn Road!

Our Community Asset Transfer is now complete, and we received money from the Scottish Land Fund (Scottish Government) to help enable us to purchase the land from the Council. The process has taken a wee while, but now it’s done. Thanks to everyone who’s helped along the way!

As a local community charity, we’re aiming to benefit our community as much as we can, and you’re all invited to get involved – and anyone living within our defined local area who supports our aims can become a voting member!

Today (and every Wednesday) there’s a free community lunch open to all at 2pm.

Wednesday Gardening club is an open drop-in session every week 1-3pm (winter hours).

And there’s women’s outdoor cooking club 12-2pm (with Pilton Community Health Project)

There are also other regular groups through the week even through the Winter:

Weds mornings: Wee Steps run by Stepping Stones North Edinburgh (parents/carers and under 5s)

Thurs mornings: Play Together Outdoor Adventures, with Pilton Community Health Project and Trees and Seas Outdoor Adventures (mums and under 5s)

Friday mornings: Women’s Woodwork, with Pilton Community Health Project and The Edinburgh Tool Library

For more information on our Asset Transfer, see: https://www.grantoncommunitygardeners.org/community-asset…

Pictured: Our Harvest Festival back in September

Granton Harvest Festival

SATURDAY 16th SEPTEMBER from 3 – 6pm

At the Community Garden on Wardieburn Road

ALL WELCOME!

It’s harvest time and we’re planning a celebration!

Come join us!

Saturday 16th September, 3-6pm.

If you’d like to help out or contribute a performance of some kind, please contact Tom:

tom@grantoncommunitygardeners.org