The Gardens Trust works to protect and promote the UK’s historic parks, gardens and other designed landscapes. Its Community Grant provides seed funding to help volunteer-led groups develop sustainable projects.

Priority themes they want to fund
Projects can cover any activity relating to a historic designed landscape, but the Trust particularly welcomes work around conservation, sharing knowledge and encouraging more inclusive participation and enjoyment.

Examples could include restoration planning, establishing a Friends group, research and recording, volunteer training, improving historic gardens and purchasing equipment that enables volunteers to care for a site.

Applicants must be volunteer groups, but do not need to be registered charities. This means constituted community groups and potentially volunteer-led CICs may be eligible, provided they can demonstrate they are an active group with a clear plan.

Grants of up to £10,000 are available. Next deadline 16 October 2026.

There is a deliberately simple application process. Applicants complete the Community Grant application form and submit it directly to the Gardens Trust.

The Trust is particularly interested in seed funding or pump-priming – funding that enables something longer-term to happen. Rather than simply asking for money to maintain a garden, explain how the grant will build volunteer capacity, unlock restoration, increase participation or create a sustainable future for an important historic landscape.

thegardenstrust.org