Community Woodlands Award
The 2025 Awards Programme
is open for entries!
We are delighted to be running Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards in 2025 again – entries are now open. We will provide any updates about the Awards’ programme here on the website or through our social channels – Twitter and LinkedIn.
For 2025, the Community Woodlands Award category remains a national competition and entries are sought from across Scotland in two competitions, for small and large community woodland groups, thereby covering the full spectrum of community forestry in Scotland.
The following competitions are available:
– one for small community woodland groups. Entry is open to projects such as community woodlands, urban woodlands or other projects that focus on involving communities with their woodland environment and thereby enhancing the lives of local people.
– one for large community woodland groups. Entry is open to larger community woodland groups that may have had a member of staff or someone working with the group on a dedicated time basis. Your project is expected to contribute to sustainable development across the three strands of social, economic and environmental development.
All over Scotland people are working to support their local communities through a community-based woodland project, our judges want to recognise and reward their achievement!
Who can enter?
Entry is open to woodland-related community-based projects from any part of Scotland. Entrants should be able to demonstrate significant and sustained community input.
What sort of project is eligible?
There are two prize competitions and entrants can enter the one most applicable to their woodland:
- Small community woodland group – entry is open to projects such as community woodlands, urban woodlands or other projects that focus on involving communities with their woodland environment and thereby enhancing the lives of local people. Your community woodland group is likely to be entirely made up of volunteers and with an annual turnover of no more than £20,000. You are asked to demonstrate the contribution that your project makes to the lives of local people and explain the steps you are taking to ensure the sustainability of the project for the long term.
- Large community woodland group – entry is open to projects with a larger community woodland group and you may have a member of staff or someone working with your group on a dedicated time basis. Your turnover is likely to be over £20,000/annum. You are asked to demonstrate how your project contributes to sustainable development across the three strands of social, economic and environmental development. The judges will be looking for a holistic approach that delivers outcomes and benefits across all three strands..
Judging
The judges aim to visit short-listed entries during the summer. You will be contacted by the judges directly to arrange any site visit.
Prizes
There is £2,000 in total of cash prizes available. This shall normally be awarded by way of £1,000 for the winning project in each competition at the discretion of the judges. In addition, the prestigious Tim Stead Trophy may be awarded to the best winning project overall in the category, regardless of which competition was entered, at the discretion of the judges with custody for one year.
In addition, the winners and any other entrants commended by the judges will receive a certificate and a commemorative wooden plaque recording their achievement.
How to enter Community Woodlands Award
Do you have a winning project in 2025? Download the appropriate entry form below. After reading the How to Enter and Guidance for Entrants, complete the entry form if your project satisfies all the criteria, referring to the Supporting Information and Images section in the guidance. You may include relevant supporting information especially videos and photographs with your entry to help our judges in their decision making – further details stated in Guidance for Entrants.
If eligible, you may enter more than one category (up to three – please check each category form for specific questions).
- download Word document or
- download PDF version
Closing date for entries:
Please submit your application by email as early as possible and by 23:59 on Saturday, 31st May 2025 at the latest. Late entries will not be considered.
More info …
See list of past winners here >>
Contact person:
Jean Nairn, Scotland’s Finest Woods
Email: admin@sfwa.co.uk
Tel: 07954 847055
Socials: Twitter; LinkedIn
Award Sponsor:
