Three community projects selected to receive funding from bp and Future Woodlands Scotland’s 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.
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, an ambition shared by the two organisations.
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. - Norton Park (CIC), 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, 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 are 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
Ends
Issued by BIG Partnership on behalf of Future Woodlands Scotland.
For more information, please contact Joanna Macdonald: joanna.macdonald@bigpartnership.co.uk or 07706334975.
Notes to editors:
About Future Woodlands Scotland:
Future Woodlands Scotland was set up in 2012 to fund innovative thinking for native woodlands. The charity has since developed several programmes to benefit Scotland’s woodlands.
- Future Woodlands Programme - helping landowners create or regenerate 1,000 hectares of native woodlands across Scotland, pioneering the restoration of ‘ghost’ or degraded former ancient native woodlands.
- Research and Innovation Grants of up to £10,000 to fund academic research but also new ideas and approaches that will benefit Scotland’s native woodlands.
About the Urban Forestry Programme:
The Urban Forestry Programme will support urban forestry projects, tree planting, biodiversity, education, community involvement and green job creation to deliver environmental, social and economic benefits.
The programme will measure success using the 3:30:300 rule, developed by Cecil Konijnendijk of the Nature Based Solutions Institute. The '3:30:300 rule' is an evidence-based rule which states that everyone should be able to see at least three trees from their home; there should be a minimum of 30% tree canopy cover in each neighbourhood; and 300 metres should be the maximum distance to the nearest high-quality public green space.
The programme will prioritise areas in Scotland with the fewest trees, guided by the Tree Equity tool, which was created to address imbalances in urban tree distribution by American Forests, the US non-profit organisation. The mapping tool was adapted for the UK by the Woodland Trust and Centre for Sustainable Healthcare.
About FWS
Future Woodlands Scotland and bp have been working together to restore Scotland’s native woodlands for over 20 years. Originating with the pioneering Scottish Forest Alliance, the Alliance successfully added nearly 5,000 hectares of new or restored native woodland, enriching Scotland’s biodiversity with nature-based solutions.
In 2021, with help from bp, Future Woodlands Scotland started the Future Woodlands Fund, a three-year pilot project to help landowners plant trees and restore Scotland’s ghost woodlands. This effort has led to 18 active projects, creating or restoring over 1,000 hectares of woodland.
Building on this success, in 2023, Future Woodlands Scotland signed a contract with bp, whereby the energy major has committed up to £10million to the Urban Forestry Programme as part of its planned Scottish offshore windfarm project, Morven, jointly developed with EnBW.
Quotes from successful project applicants
Norton Park
"We are absolutely delighted to accept this grant from Future Woodlands Scotland, which will bring nature and biodiversity into the heart of Norton Park. The project will enhance the environment, benefit our neighbourhood, and create much-needed green spaces for everyone who uses Norton Park – from our business tenants and their staff to service users and visitors. This initiative is a wonderful step forward in improving wellbeing, connecting people with nature, and strengthening our community."
Keith Robertson, Chief Executive, Norton Park SCIO
Linn Park
"Friends of Linn Park are delighted to receive this funding from Future Woodlands Scotland. We are so grateful for the opportunity to create a local community growing area which will sustain the habitats of Linn Park Local Nature Reserve and allow it to contribute to the 'tree equity' and health and well-being of the surrounding neighbourhoods. We look forward to increasing our own knowledge and engaging with many other community groups in the area to improve our ability to plant and look after trees and woodlands."
Dorothy Buchanan, Chair, Friends of Linn Park
About bp
bp delivers energy products and services to our customers around the world.
Our strategy is to transition to become an integrated energy company across resilient hydrocarbons, mobility and convenience and low carbon energy. We believe bp can help deliver a better, more balanced, energy system that is secure and affordable as well as increasingly lower carbon.
bp continues to invest in oil and gas to keep energy flowing to where and when it’s needed today. And to invest in our lower carbon and other transition businesses.
For more information visit www.bp.com