Cabinet Secretary announces funding for 16 new Coetiroedd Bach

A third round of funding has been awarded to 13 projects supporting the creation of 16 new Coetiroedd Bach (Tiny Forests) across Wales.

Funding, worth more than £500,000, has been provided by the Welsh Government and is being administered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Grants of up to £40,000 were available to applicants per site, with a maximum of £250,000 for multiple sites in a single application.

Organisations, communities and individuals who wanted to create new small woodlands in collaboration with local communities were able to apply for the grant.

Woodlands supported by the scheme are required to be well-managed, accessible and must offer local communities the opportunity to get involved in woodlands and nature.

Roughly the size of a tennis court, Coetiroedd Bach have low management and maintenance requirements after the first two years.

Once completed, each site will automatically become part of the National Forest for Wales.

Biodiversity

The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: “I recently visited a Coetir Bach in Llangors and it is a fantastic example of how these woodland sites are enabling communities to access nature and green spaces as well as introducing rich biodiversity into urban areas.

“These small, densely packed woodland areas are fast-growing and can attract more than 500 animal and plant species in their first three years.

“I am really pleased to be able to announce that we have awarded more than half a million pounds worth of funding to create more areas like this across Wales.”

The Coetiroedd Bach Grant, part of the National Forest for Wales programme, started in April 2023 and will run until the end of March 2025 with the aim of creating 100 Tiny Forests.