Community Woodlands Award
Closing date for entries:
UPDATE – You can submit your entry
until 23:59 on Friday 31st May 2024.
We are delighted to be running Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards in 2024 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 2024 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!
Details for the 2024 Awards Programme
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 April/May. You will have been contacted by the judges directly regarding any site visit during April – early May.
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.
Other high quality entries may receive a judges’ commendation.
How to enter Community Woodlands Award
Applicants are asked to complete a short entry form to provide the location, contact detail, summary project information and a statement in no more than 500 words why they think their entry would make a worthy winner of this prestigious award and be an exemplar to others.
You could also provide some supporting information such as visuals (e.g. photographs and/or videos), a summary project or business plan, latest annual accounts, map or publicity leaflets to help our judges make their decision.
- download Word document here or
- download PDF version here
Closing date for entries:
UPDATE – You can submit your entry until 23:59 on Friday 31st May 2024. Do you have a winning project in 2024?
More info …
See list of past winners here >>
Contact person:
Jean Nairn
Scotland’s Finest Woods
1 Ravelston House Loan, Edinburgh EH4 3LY
Tel: 07954 847055
Email: admin@sfwa.co.uk
Socials: Twitter; LinkedIn
Award Sponsor:
