Groups offered funding to help plant trees
Non-profit-making community groups and organisations are being invited to bid for funding from the North Ayrshire 2030 Woodland Grant Fund to establish small woodlands and help populate areas with carbon absorbing trees.
Bids of up to £5,000 will be available for constituted groups to support existing, or develop new, tree planting projects.
The fund has been introduced as part of the council’s tree planting strategy which was introduced last year with a commitment to plant 108,000 new trees across North Ayrshire by the end of 2030, the year it has set as a target for becoming ‘net-zero’.
Initially, £25,000 has been allocated from the council’s tree planting fund for the October 2022 to March 2023 planting season, however, further funding rounds will follow for future growing seasons.
Those supporting the tree planting strategy can use a webpage that allows individuals, groups and businesses to log their own tree planting activity. The page can be viewed at https://2030woodland-north-ayrshire.hub. arcgis.com
Councillor Jim Montgomerie, cabinet member for green new deal and sustainability, said: ‘We are delighted to be launching our Woodland Grant Fund. It offers financial support to community groups looking to undertake tree planting to make North Ayrshire a greener and more sustainable environment.
‘Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the world and we all have a part to play in helping tackle the issue. Tree planting is a simple yet effective way you can play a part, whether you are an individual planting a single tree in your garden; a school allocating space for tree planting as part of an eco-project; a community organisation with ambitions to create a sustainable outdoor space for residents and wildlife or a business that is offsetting its carbon emissions through tree planting. Anyone can join in tree planting activity.
‘Our new woodland fund is there to support groups with their tree planting plans. We look forward to hearing more about and supporting local projects.’
Applications for funding will close at the end of October this year. All the money must be spent and trees in the ground by March 31 2023. Applications will be reviewed and assessed by the council’s tree planting strategy project delivery group and decisions on funding applications will be made within eight weeks of the submission date.