Funding for Local Heritage & Community Green Spaces: The Gardens Trust Community Grant
The Gardens Trust Community Grant
Community groups and volunteer organisations looking to restore, protect, or activate historic green spaces can now apply for funding through The Gardens Trust Community Grant. Offering grants of up to £10,000, the scheme is designed to help local initiatives get off the ground and support sustainable, long-term projects focused on historic landscapes.
Whether your group is looking to create a management plan, train local volunteers, or kick-start a restoration effort, here is everything you need to know about what the funding covers, who is eligible, and how to apply.
What is The Gardens Trust Community Grant?
The Gardens Trust Community Grant is a UK-wide funding initiative funded by the Gentian Trust. Its purpose is to provide essential seed funding (or pump-priming capital) for projects that protect, restore, and engage people with historic designed landscapes.
The grant aims to “plant acorns which will become oaks” by giving volunteer-led teams the resources needed to establish sustainable, ongoing activities.
Key highlights of the grant scheme include:
Funding Amount: Up to £10,000 per project.
Focus Areas: Projects that advance conservation, build volunteer capacity, share historic knowledge, and promote inclusive community involvement.
Application Process: Intentionally streamlined and simple to ensure it remains accessible to grass-roots groups.
What Can the Funding Be Used For?
The grant is flexible and can cover a wide range of activities connected to historic designed landscapes. It is ideal for early-stage setup costs, planning, and skills development that enable a project to thrive over the long term.
Eligible uses for the grant include:
Restoration & Conservation Plans: Funding surveys, professional guidance, or initial groundwork to restore historic gardens, parks, or public green spaces.
Setting Up Community Groups: Covering initial costs to form a new ‘Friends Of’ group or local trust.
Volunteer Training & Equipment: Purchasing essential tools or providing training schemes to build local capability and ensure volunteer safety.
Research & Recording: Documenting the history and layout of local heritage landscapes to inform future preservation efforts.
Community Engagement: Initiatives that broaden local participation, welcoming diverse groups to enjoy and care for historic sites.
Who is Eligible?
To apply for funding, groups must meet the following criteria:
Volunteer-Led Groups: Applicants must be an active volunteer group. You do not need to be a registered charity, but you must demonstrate a clear plan and active governance.
Location: The project must be based anywhere within the United Kingdom.
Site Focus: Activities must focus on a historic designed landscape (such as historic public parks, heritage gardens, churchyards, or town square gardens).
How to Apply
The application process has been kept straightforward to encourage small and growing community projects to apply.
Download the Application Form: Visit The Gardens Trust Community Grant webpage to access the application document and review the project guidelines.
Complete the Proposal: Outline your project goals, how the funding will be used as seed capital, and how volunteers will be involved.
Submit via Email: Send your completed application form directly to catherine.ford@thegardenstrust.org.
Deadline: Applications must be submitted by Friday 16th October 2026.
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