UK charity The Tree Council (TTC) today launched a major new programme ‘Growing Together’ which aims to double the number of community-run tree growing projects within the next three years. Growing Together launches during COP30, reflecting its call for planetary and community stewardship through local action and environmental empowerment. Supported by leading savings and investment firm M&G plc, the initiative will help local communities grow more healthy trees sustainably.
Community Tree Nurseries (CTNs) are grassroots projects where local people collect seed, raise young trees and nurture them for planting in community spaces, woodlands and nature recovery projects. According to the Tree Council’s research, there are currently around 80+ CTNs in the UK which produced an estimated 250,000 trees in 2023.
According to a recent ‘Strong Roots: Growing British Tree Nurseries’ report, the need for British grown trees could significantly increase in the coming years. Growing trees in the UK can help reduce the risk of imported pests and diseases and these trees can be better adapted to survive in their local environment.
Sara Lom, Tree Council says: “We want to empower local people to grow local trees. Tree growing is a lifelong skill, the more people who understand how to grow trees in a responsible way, the better equipped we will be to green our communities and face climate change together”.
However, the community tree growing sector still has so much potential to expand but faces barriers such as limited funding, access to training, and biosecurity challenges. To help alleviate this, Growing Together aims to double the number of CTNs over the next three years, supporting 20 schools and 15 communities in its pilot year. TTC experts will visit each location and offer bespoke support including start-up grants.
Growing Together is also working with Defra, the Community Tree Nursery Collaborative, and experienced nurseries to develop practical guidance, training materials and offer peer support including much-needed, tailored biosecurity advice for existing small scale CTNs, minimising the threat of spreading harmful pests and diseases and making tree growing accessible and safe to all.
The launch of the programme is timely, with three recent UK reports evidencing the benefits of local community growing. Growing Together is built directly from results from the Trees Outside Woodland, ‘Boosting Community Nurseries’ report in partnership with Defra. Thanks to generous support from M&G, the Growing Together programme will unite publicly funded research with private finance to benefit communities across the UK.
To coincide with the launch, M&G volunteers joined The Tree Council at Camphill Blair Drummond, a home and community providing meaningful opportunities for adults with learning disabilities and other special needs, near M&G’s head office in Stirling.
Louise Shield, Group Corporate Affairs Director, M&G said:
“We’re proud to support Growing Together and help communities across the UK grow trees in ways that are good for people and the planet.
It’s fantastic to start right here in Stirling, working hand-in-hand with local people to plant the first seeds – both literally and figuratively – of this exciting national programme.”
M&G colleagues rolled up their sleeves to create raised beds and work alongside the community to gather, sow and prepare seeds from at least ten different native tree and shrub species, including Scots Pine and Downy Birch. In future they will grow trees for a small woodland that will create a nature corridor across the community grounds, connecting two areas of established woodland – symbolising the natural connections of the Growing Together programme and the start of a long-term partnership to nurture local nature recovery.
