South Yorkshire’s Mayor opens £50,000 A Tree for Everyone Grant Fund for the region

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, has opened a new Tree for Everyone Grant Fund which is available to everyone in the region who would like to plant more trees.

The new £50,000 Grant Fund is part of the Mayor’s Million Trees project, which aims to plant 1.4million trees in South Yorkshire. The new Grant Fund is for people in the region who would like to plant trees here, on land where planting rights are secured, and where the trees will provide a public benefit and enhance environmental sustainability.

A total of £50,000 has been allocated for the fund with grants awarded in amounts of between £250 and £2,500. South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) will work with South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation (SYCF) to deliver the Grant Fund.

In contrast to the Free Trees for Communities scheme, which is only open to community groups and provides packs of 50 trees, the Grant Fund is open to everyone in South Yorkshire, and can offer a more flexible number of trees, equipment, surveys or other professional support, provided applicants meet the criteria.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: 

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I want to plant 1.4 million trees, one for every person who lives in South Yorkshire.

Trees enrich our lives, sustain our communities and provide countless environmental benefits. That’s why I’m so proud to be opening this new Grant Fund to enable people in South Yorkshire to plant more trees.

Trees are both our heritage and our future, so I’m looking forward to working with our communities across Barnsley, Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield to create a healthier, wealthier, greener and cleaner South Yorkshire.

 

For almost 40 years, South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation (SYCF) has invested millions of pounds in community groups and organisations to address critical social issues and improve lives across the region.

Michelle Dickinson, SYCF’s head of philanthropy and programmes, said: 

Planting trees is such a simple yet powerful way to help create a healthier and more resilient South Yorkshire.

Utilising our strong relationships with community groups and networks across the region, we’ll work to drive participation in key target areas.

We’re proud to partner with Oliver Coppard and his team on this unique project, which promises to leave a lasting, positive impact on our region - both now and for future generations.

 

A subsequent round will be opened later in 2025 for projects that intend to invest in tree planting over the next 12 months and projects that will be complete by March 2026.

To find out more information or to apply to the Grant Fund visit www.southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk/tree-fund or to find out more information about other tree planting initiatives in South Yorkshire visit https://www.southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk/