Tree planting projects can apply for grant funding from Bettys Tree for Life project for another year

Bettys, the Harrogate-based company behind the famous tea rooms, launched the tree-planting initiative to mark its 100th anniversary last year, and the decision has been taken to extend the project for another 12 months.

The firm put aside funding of £100,000 which was made available to community groups across Yorkshire, with the money used for tree planting in a host of locations including local green spaces and natural habitats.

Bettys’ ethical projects officer, Sam Gibson, who worked on the tree-planting projects, said the company had been “bowled over” by the response when it launched the project during national Tree Week in 2018.

“There are so many people trying to do lots of great work,” she said.

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“We allocated the grants over two stages and once we had distributed all the funds, we decided as we had been so oversubscribed, we would extend it for another year.”

The project was launched in partnership with the York-based charity, Two Ridings Community Foundation, which has publicised the project through its contacts in the community.

Jan Garrill, CEO of Two Ridings Community Foundation said the Foundation had been delighted to work with Bettys as they marked their 100th anniversary and applauded the company's commitment in extending the grants.

"We have been delighted to work with Bettys as they marked their centenary in a very special way by supporting groups across Yorkshire to make a lasting difference in their communities.

"The extension of the fund for a further year shows the commitment of this local company to improving the lives and communities in their area and we are thrilled to be able to continue to offer this support to local community environmental projects which make such a difference to everyone.

"We are very proud to be working with Bettys and also very proud of the groups funded who show how small grants can make a huge difference to the lives of local people and the environment in which we all live."

The first set of awards for 2020 will be made on Friday, with a further panel sitting in the summer.

Ms Gibson said Bettys was looking for projects which were community-based, particularly in harder more remote areas.

She added: “As well as planting trees, we do also find people enjoy the opportunity to work outdoors and we know how much help with wellbeing working with the environment provides. It is just as much about people as it is about tree planting.”

One of the projects which has benefited from a grant is The Valley Project at Holme Wood, Bradford. The scheme, which is aimed at children aged between five and 13, is creating an “edible forest” on wasteland previously used for fly-tipping and dumping burnt-out cars.

Project co-ordinator Laura Bowen said the grant from Bettys had been instrumental in the project’s launch, and added: “We are a new project and the smaller pots of money have been more available to us. This project also focused on nature, which is something we are really trying to promote.”

The Valley Project is on land previously owned by the council, and was taken over through a community asset transfer.

Miss Bowen, who runs the scheme with fellow project co-ordinator, Steve McHugh, said skip-loads of rubbish were removed before the land could be used for planting.

The money from the fund helped to buy fruit trees which Miss Bowen said children have now planted with the long-term aim of picking the fruit they have grown.

She said: “The grant was really helpful to our work and they were a great team to work with.”

Bettys has been involved in tree planting in the UK and abroad since 1990, and has worked with organisations including the National Trust and RHS Garden Harlow Carr. Applications are open for this year’s round of grants. More information is available at bettys.co.uk/trees-for-life.