Branching Out Fund

This Grant fund supports schools, community groups and Tree Warden Networks to plant trees, hedges and orchards with funding between £250 and £2,500.

This Grant fund supports schools, community groups and Tree Warden Networks to plant trees, hedges and orchards. Grants can be between £250 and £2,500. The projects must involve young people up to the age of 21. We encourage you to read the application guidance fully before you complete the application form, particularly in relation to eligibility. The grant is open to the whole of the UK.

Who can apply

Schools, community groups, parish and town councils and Tree Warden Networks.

Typical applicants are Community Groups, residents’ groups, small, registered charities, community interest companies, constituted groups, incorporated organisations, Tree Warden networks or schools. The group must have a bank account registered in the name of the applicant organisation into which a grant can be paid. If a group does not have its own bank account but is affiliated to a local authority (e.g. the town or parish council) the grant can be paid via them.

This list of suitable groups is not exhaustive, so please get in touch if you are uncertain about eligibility. We do not give grants to individuals or intermediary organisations, nor do we give grants or make payments to Local Authorities (City, District or County Councils). 

Restrictions

What can NOT be funded?

• Applications from intermediary charities or organization

• VAT

• Any work that has already taken place

• For fruit trees: dwarfing varieties, espalier, step-over fruit trees. We may in some circumstances consider dwarfing rootstocks but only when there is a clear reason for doing so, e.g. in an infant school

For hedges: non-native, ornamental or evergreen species like Leyland Cyprus or cherry laurel as these are not best at supporting UK biodiversity. We discourage single species hedge plantings unless very appropriate for the setting. It may be appropriate in some urban areas to plant a variety of non-native conifers especially when removing air pollutants is a key objective  

Container grown stock, rather than bare root, unless appropriate and an explanation is provided

• Trees that will be planted in containers (e.g., boxes, tubs)

• Tree protection or other materials for trees that we are not funding (e.g., guards for free trees)

• Stock proof fencing, expensive guards and cages unless there is a very good reason

• It is important that we all follow a ‘right tree, right place’ principle. You may find the guidance here from Cornwall Council interesting and helpful. We will not fund projects which plant on existing sites of wildlife or historic interest where tree or hedge planting is potentially damaging. These include (but are not limited to): archaeological sites (check with your county archaeologist if you are unsure); sites with rare or protected species which may be negatively affected by a new planting; grassland that has never been ploughed or marshy grassland; wetland sites; heathland; or scrub. Trees should not be in close proximity to buildings, so research or guidance is essential to ensure correct distance and spacing

• Plastic tree guards,ties or matting: if purchasing your own plastic guards etc., you should show that you have thought about their eventual removal from the planting to avoid plastic pollution

• Peat-based compost or soil improvers

• Items such as volunteer tools and equipment, protective clothing, or costs of running community events

• Chemicals for weed removal or suppression

• Costs of contractors or staff time to plan or plant the hedge or trees. To engage and connect the local community, the planting must be done by volunteers, including Tree Wardens, community groups and landowners themselves

Eligible Expenditure

Trees, hedges and orchards, reasonable costs of non-plastic protection and supports, and mulch (weed suppressant – usually bark chippings). We will also fund other ‘aids to establishment’, such as compost but you must explain why these are necessary. 

What kind of trees/ hedgerows/orchard can we plant?

We have a strong preference for bare-root stock of native trees and hedgerow plants. For more information about what to plant, please see our Tree and Hedge Planting – a Step by Step Guide in the links below, and our Hedgerow Learning Guide. Section 4 of the Hedgerow Learning Guide has some excellent guidance regarding which species to choose, depending on what kind of a hedge you want. 

Be careful about using standard mixes of hedgerow plants available from nurseries or garden centres – they are unlikely to meet your specific needs.

We encourage a variety of species to aid resilience – e.g., an orchard with just one variety of apple may quickly all succumb to a disease should one tree become infected as it is more likely to spread quickly to other trees of the same variety. 

We love hedgerow trees – if appropriate and your site is suitable, you should consider either planting or identifying a suitable hedge plant that you will allow to grow on to become a mature, full-size tree that stands proud of the hedgeline. See the Hedgerow Learning Guide for more information. 

Non-natives in the right place: as our climate warms, it is worth considering planting non-native trees which may better tolerate the new climate. In the right places like streets and urban parks, non-native species can also add colour and diversity to a landscape.  

Apple and pear must be grown on semi-vigorous, vigorous and very vigorous rootstocks – see our Planting and Caring for apple and pear trees guidance below for more details of suitable rootstock. If planting an orchard, a minimum of five trees should be planted. 

What aids to establishment can we include in our application? As a conservation charity, we believe strongly in reducing the use of plastic in the environment. 

Please see a link to our Protecting Young Trees at the end of this document for our guidance as to type of protection we can fund.  

You can include the costs of the following non-plastic aids to establishment in your application:

• Tree shelters/guards(non-plastic guards only): don’t assume you always need them – do your research into local conditions and potential threats to your plants 

• Mulch: if using bark chippings, you should ask your supplier for chippings that are not ‘fresh’ as there is a danger of nitrogen loss from the soil as they degrade  

• Mulching mats (non-plastic): you must provide a solid reason for wanting to use them as opposed to other mulching methods

• Peat-free compost or soil improvers for planting: these are not needed or recommended except in the case of really infertile soils - unless you want to spend lots of time weeding! 

• Canes/stakes or ties (non-plastic) Ground preparation and weed control should be managed by suppression/ mulching rather than the application of chemicals. 

You may not need everything on this list. Your requirements will depend on the tree stock being planted and the level of protection needed from grazing animals and wildlife, including rabbits and voles/mice, at the planting site. Remember to consider whether your planting may be vulnerable to other damage, e.g., from strimming, mowing or chemicals being sprayed nearby. 

How to apply

1. Complete Application Form and Costs Form

2. Location plan: this must show the planting location in the local area and highlight the  land on which the planting will take place. An annotated Google Maps is ideal

3. A site plan: a larger scale plan of the area proposed for planting. It must include dimensions of the site, positions, numbers and species of the trees to be planted. It should be easy for us to see spacings between plants, show that they will not be in too close proximity to buildings. For hedgerows you must demonstrate that hedgerows are ideally being planted 5/6 plants per metre, depending on how many rows, and should be at least 2 rows (some hedges might be 3 rows). 

4. Photos: up to four photographs of the site that gives a good idea of what you are trying to achieve – these could be taken from ground level or a window if planting is taking place near a building 

5. Permission to plant letter from the landowner

6. Please ensure your supplier is giving you a quote EXCLUDING VAT. There is no VAT on most fruit trees – see section 3.5 of this Government Guidance for full details of exempt trees 

Useful Links

https://treecouncil.org.uk/what-we-do/planting-and-care/our-grants/