The Community Forest Trust
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Your work fits best if it involves creating or improving woodland and green space in England, especially in urban areas, since that is the community forestry the Trust says it champions.
- The Trust states England as its priority, but no grant range is stated, so there is no typical request size to aim for; keep any ask proportionate and check first.
- No application process is published, so the sensible first step is to use the contact shown to ask whether a project like yours would be considered.
- Its listed grants go to community forest bodies and project activity, so a project linked to one of the Community Forests or their delivery programmes is the closest match.
- Nothing in its annual report, its register entry or its other published pages sets out who should not apply.
Overview
The Community Forest Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1072706).
The Community Forest Trust supports, enables and champions the work of the 15 Community Forests across England. It also promotes, for the benefit of the public generally, charitable purposes in the NW of England and beyond connected with protecting and improving the environment and landscape. Its work includes support for City of Trees, The Mersey Forest and White Rose Forest, along with recruitment and employment services, land acquisition, fundraising and support for delivery programmes. Its annual giving is £3,247,492, according to the annual report.
What they fund
Priority Areas
The Community Forest Trust says it supports, enables and champions Community Forests across England, whose work creates woodlands and helps urban areas become more sustainable and resilient. Its work includes recruitment and employment, support for land acquisition, fundraising and administering funds, accountable-body services for delivery programmes, and knowledge exchange, coaching and advocacy. Its institutional grant listing names community forest bodies and project activity, consistent with its stated focus on community forestry. The Trust describes community forestry as improving urban environments, transforming neglected or degraded sites, and involving people in planting trees and caring for existing woodlands and green spaces. It presents collaboration and close partnership as part of its approach.
Themes
- Community forestry
Geographic Focus
Priority: England.
How to apply
No application process is published in the charity's annual report, its register entry, its website or other pages about it. The contact shown is for getting in touch.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to The Community Forest Trust.
Grants
The largest grants to organisations in this funder’s latest annual report:
- Raise: Cumbria Community Forest£582,458year to 30 June 2025
- Mersey Forest£54,767year to 30 June 2025
- White Rose Forest£11,021year to 30 June 2025
Grant examples taken from the funder’s filed accounts. Not included above: 1 with no named recipient.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 March 2021 | £3,143,109 | £2,814,947 | £867,302 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2021 |
| year to 31 March 2022 | £7,397,236 | £5,462,620 | £1,782,608 | Accounts for year to 31 March 2022 |
| year to 30 June 2023 | £9,806,445 | £11,781,897 | £4,306,342 | Accounts for year to 30 June 2023 |
| year to 30 June 2024 | £11,584,005 | £10,638,312 | — | Accounts for year to 30 June 2024 |
| year to 30 June 2025 | £8,920,887 | £6,160,142 | £3,247,492 | Accounts for year to 30 June 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
Grants paid stayed within income across the 4 years shown.
- Grants paid, year to 31 March 2021; year to 31 March 2022; year to 30 June 2023: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 30 June 2025: the accounts do not say whether this is grants awarded or paid.
— No grants figure for that year.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- communityforest-trust.org
- communityforest-trust.org/cft-mission-vision-and-values · read on 30 October 2026
- communityforest-trust.org/our-work · read on 30 October 2026
- communityforest-trust.org/community-forestry · read on 30 October 2026
- communityforest-trust.org/contact-us · read on 30 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 30 June 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 30 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to The Community Forest Trust?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Applying to The Community Forest Trust?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required