Stump Up For Trees

Quick Stats

• Annual Income: £434,240 (year ending June 2024)
• Annual Expenditure: £173,742 (year ending June 2024)
• Charity Number: 1188226
• Geographic Focus: Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) and South Wales
• Grant Range: Variable (covers trees and fencing costs)
• Registered: 2020

Contact Details

Address: 7A Nevill Street, Abergavenny, Gwent NP7 5AA

Email: hello@stumpupfortrees.org

Phone: 07979 265436

Website: https://stumpupfortrees.org

Overview

Stump Up For Trees is a farmer-led charity established in 2020 by Keith Powell, a seventh-generation Black Mountains farmer, and Robert Penn, a local author and broadcaster. The charity's mission is to plant one million trees in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) area, working primarily with upland farmers and landowners to integrate more trees on farmland and designate marginal agricultural land for tree planting. With an income of £434,240 in the year ending June 2024, the charity operates through grant-making to individuals, providing both financial support and advice for woodland creation, hedgerow restoration, and diverse habitat development. The organization has already planted over 250,000 trees across more than 70 sites with the help of 250 volunteers. Their flagship project, the Bryn Arw Common Pilot Plant, saw 135,000 native broadleaf trees planted during 2020-21, making it the largest single native woodland creation project in Wales that winter.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Real Hedge Fund | Y Gronfa Gwrych Gwir: Supports farmers and landowners to establish or restore hedgerows in the region. Application details available by contacting the charity directly.

Trees on Farms Programme: Provides advice and long-term support for land managers interested in integrating trees into farming systems, from design through delivery and ongoing maintenance. Supports hedgerows, wood pasture, shelterbelts, riparian woodland, new native woodlands, and agroforestry projects.

Traditional Boundaries of Wales (partnership with Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority and Woodland Trust): Creates and restores hedgerows throughout the National Park. The project provides trees together with grant contributions toward fencing costs. Gapping up existing hedges and hedge laying considered case-by-case. In 2023, the project supported planting three kilometres of new hedgerow (13,000 trees and shrubs). Interested farmers should contact NatureRecovery@beacons-npa.gov.uk or call 01874 624 437.

Priority Areas

• Native woodland creation on marginal agricultural land
• Hedgerow establishment and restoration
• Riparian woodland (along waterways)
• Upland wood pasture
• Shelterbelts
• Agroforestry systems
• Targeted interventions for water quality and quantity in specific catchments
• Enhancing biodiversity and natural flood management

The charity emphasizes supporting the agricultural and rural community to bring nature back to the landscape in ways that support farmers economically and socially, helping them transition to landscape management based around “public goods” including better air and water quality and public access for recreation and health.

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the charity's geographic focus is clearly Bannau Brycheiniog and South Wales. Projects outside this region would likely fall outside their remit.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees (6 trustees, all unpaid)

• James Suter
• Andrew Erskine
• Richard Roderick
• Hugh Colvin
• Bob Vaughan
• Lorna Davis

Key Staff

• Keith Powell - Founder, seventh-generation Black Mountains farmer and veterinarian
• Robert Penn - Co-Founder and Project Director, bestselling author of "It's All About the Bike“ and ”The Man Who Made Things Out of Trees"
• Dr. Jenny Knight - General Manager (joined December 2022), PhD from Birmingham Institute of Forest Research
• Kate Beavan - Woodland Creation Officer
• Mark Morgan - Field Officer
• Rachel Embury - Operations Manager
• Jenny Parry - Nursery Manager
• Andrew Riddington - Finance Officer
• Phil Middleton - Fundraising
• Celia Graham - Office Admin Support and Volunteer Coordinator
• Louise Elstow - INRS Project Development and Strategy
• Liz Buckler - Volunteer Supervisor - Nursery

Mission Statement: “Stump Up For Trees was created by and for farmers and other landowners who wanted to bring nature back to our landscapes in ways that supported rural communities and agriculture... We absolutely believe that increased tree cover for the purpose of nature restoration can be done in ways that are led by and support the local agricultural community.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are handled on a project-by-project basis. Interested landowners and farmers should contact the charity directly:

1. Email: hello@stumpupfortrees.org to express interest in grant support
2. Phone: 07979 265436
3. Website: Visit stumpupfortrees.org for program information

The charity offers a consensus approach to tree planting, considering multiple stakeholder inputs and providing support from design through delivery and long-term monitoring.

For the Traditional Boundaries of Wales hedgerow program specifically, farmers should apply using a downloadable form available from the National Park Authority or contact NatureRecovery@beacons-npa.gov.uk or 01874 624 437.

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly documented, though the charity operates on a project development model with ongoing engagement throughout the process.

Success Rates

Not publicly available.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly documented, though the charity's collaborative approach suggests ongoing relationships with landowners across multiple projects.

Application Success Factors

Alignment with Farming Community: Stump Up For Trees explicitly focuses on supporting farmers and agricultural landowners. Applications from those managing marginal agricultural land seeking to integrate nature restoration with continued farming operations are strongly aligned with their mission.

Species and Habitat Focus: Projects proposing native broadleaf species for woodland creation, traditional hedgerow restoration using native species, or wood pasture systems are central to their work.

Public Goods Orientation: The charity seeks to advance landscape management based around “public goods” including biodiversity enhancement, natural flood management, air and water quality improvements, and public access for recreation and health.

Long-term Commitment: Successful projects demonstrate commitment to ongoing management and monitoring. The charity provides long-term support, suggesting they value applicants willing to engage beyond initial planting.

Geographic Focus: Projects must be located in Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) and South Wales region.

Scale Considerations: The charity has delivered projects ranging from small hedgerow restorations to their flagship 135,000-tree Bryn Arw Common project, suggesting flexibility in project scale.

Partnership Approach: Their collaborative working model with organizations like the Woodland Trust and Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority indicates they value applicants open to multi-stakeholder projects.

Community Benefit: Projects that offer opportunities for volunteer engagement and community participation align with their model (250 volunteers aged 8-83 have participated in their work).

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Farmer-led and farmer-focused: This charity was created by farmers for farmers. Applications from agricultural landowners seeking to transition marginal land to woodland or integrate more trees into farming systems are at the heart of their mission.

• Not just funding - comprehensive support: Stump Up For Trees provides advice, design support, delivery assistance, and long-term monitoring, not just money. Emphasize willingness to engage in this collaborative process.

• Proven at scale: Their Bryn Arw Common project (135,000 trees) was the largest single native woodland creation project in Wales in 2020-21, demonstrating capacity for ambitious projects alongside smaller hedgerow schemes.

• Geographic specificity matters: Only projects in Bannau Brycheiniog and South Wales region are within scope.

• Native species and traditional approaches: Focus on native broadleaf trees and traditional hedgerow restoration techniques align with their documented approach.

• Multiple program pathways: Consider whether your project fits their Real Hedge Fund, Trees on Farms programme, or Traditional Boundaries partnership - or contact them to discuss which suits best.

• Start with conversation: No formal application portal is evident - initial contact via email or phone to discuss your project is the appropriate first step.

References

• Charity Commission Register. (2024). “STUMP UP FOR TREES - Charity 1188226.” Available at: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5155512 []

• Stump Up For Trees. (2024). “About Us.” Available at: https://stumpupfortrees.org/about-us/ []

• Stump Up For Trees. (2024). “Our Work.” Available at: https://stumpupfortrees.org/our-work/ []

• Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority. (2024). "Grant funding to restore Bannau Brycheiniog's hedgerows." []

• Woodland Trust. (2024). “Stump Up For Trees Transforms Bryn Arw.” Available at: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/trees-for-landowners-and-farmers/stump-up-for-trees-case-study/ []

• Stump Up For Trees. (2024). “We planted our 250,000th tree!” Available at: https://stumpupfortrees.org/latest-news/posts/2024/january/we-planted-our-250-000th-tree/ []

• Stump Up For Trees. (2023). “Our new General Manager - Jenny Knight.” Available at: https://stumpupfortrees.org/latest-news/posts/2023/april/our-new-general-manager-jenny-knight/ []