Two Edinburgh community projects set to receive funding from a pot of up to £10 million to plant more trees
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The charity dedicated to creating and conserving woodlands across Scotland has the 10-year Urban Forestry Programme, that sees FWS working alongside project founding partner BP to support and improve green spaces in Scotland’s cities, towns, and urban areas.
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.Two of the first three projects to receive funding are based in Edinburgh.
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Friends of Inch Park have a community orchard and planting project with an arts-based engagement programme that will improve canopy cover and raise awareness of nurturing trees.
While Norton Park have 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.
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.
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Hide Ad“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."
Keith Robertson, chief executive, Norton Park SCIO, said: "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."
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Hide AdThe third recipient is 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.
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.”
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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 per cent tree canopy and quality green space within 300 metres.
Scotland’s urban tree cover (under 16 per cent) is much lower than the EU average of 30.2 per cent. 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.
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Hide AdTom 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.”
More information on the Urban Forestry Programme is available at www.futurewoodlands.org.uk
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