Trees for Cities
Trees for Cities is a UK charitable company limited by guarantee, founded in 1993, that plants trees in urban areas across the UK and internationally, delivering community planting, school programmes, and tree equity initiatives funded by donations, corporate partnerships, and grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Trees for Cities does
Trees for Cities is a UK charitable company limited by guarantee (registered 1993, charity number 1032154) that plants and maintains trees in urban environments across the UK and select international locations. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programmes including Urban Trees (community planting events across 47 UK urban areas), Trees for Schools (35 new school projects in the last year reaching 30,032 pupils), Edible Playgrounds (transforming school grounds into growing spaces), Trees for Streets (street tree sponsorship scheme), Tree Cities of the World (UK recognition programme led in partnership with Arbor Day Foundation and UN FAO), and international programmes in Kenya and Rwanda through partners Trees for Kenya, COSDEP, and ANA. The organization's proprietary assets include the Tree Equity Score UK mapping tool (co-developed with American Forests, Woodland Trust, and Centre for Sustainable Healthcare to target low-canopy, high-deprivation areas), the Coastal Tree Planting Guide (developed with Forest Research), and a library of free school and practitioner educational resources.
The business model is donation-based across four streams: individual donations (one-time and regular giving with Gift Aid), corporate partnerships (sponsorship and corporate volunteering), government and trust funding (grants from sources including the £1.2M Green Recovery Challenge Fund in 2021, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Linbury Trust), and individual fundraising through events and campaigns. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: Trees for Cities mobilizes 2,000+ volunteers annually (with 75% being first-time planters), engages 14,986 people directly in planting/protecting/promoting urban trees this year, and delivers projects through partnerships with local authorities (Hartlepool, Cardiff, Ealing councils) and schools. Distribution spans community planting events, school programmes, corporate volunteering, local authority partnerships, and self-serve online donations, supported by marketing channels including the Tree Times monthly newsletter, social media, and PR/earned media.
Trees for Cities is headquartered at Prince Consort Lodge, Kennington Park, London SE11 4AS, and is led by CEO Kate Sheldon (appointed February 2023) and Chair of Trustees Janine Hawkins. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees, is not owned by any parent entity, and operates as an independent non-profit reliant on grants, donations, and fundraising. Recent strategic positioning has emphasized tree equity as a framing concept, with the March 2025 Tree Equity for Hartlepool flagship project exemplifying the charity's targeting of underserved urban communities.
Trees for Cities firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Trees for Cities
- Legal name
- Trees for Cities
- Website
- https://treesforcities.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Trees for Cities is a UK charitable company limited by guarantee, founded in 1993, that plants trees in urban areas across the UK and internationally, delivering community planting, school programmes, and tree equity initiatives funded by donations, corporate partnerships, and grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Trees for Cities industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Urban Forestry and Environmental Charity Services
- NAICS
- Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Landscaping Services (561730)
- SIC
- Forestry (800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting (AFAMACAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), Tree Planting & Establishment Services (Manual/Mechanized) (AFAMACAE)
Keywords
Where Trees for Cities is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Trees for Cities business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-time and regular donations from individual supporters, including Gift Aid claims for eligible UK taxpayers.
- Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorship, corporate giving, and corporate volunteering programmes where businesses fund tree planting projects and employee engagement activities.
- Government and Trust Funding: Grants from government funds (e.g., Green Recovery Challenge Fund), The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Linbury Trust, and other charitable foundations for specific project delivery.
- Fundraising: Individuals and community members fundraising through events, challenges, and campaigns on behalf of Trees for Cities.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Trees for Cities product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Trees for Cities is a UK charitable company limited by guarantee that plants and cares for urban trees across towns and cities in the UK and selectively in East Africa. Its portfolio spans community tree planting events, the Trees for Schools programme with Edible Playgrounds, the Trees for Streets sponsorship scheme, the Tree Cities of the World recognition programme, and flagship tree equity projects such as Tree Equity for Hartlepool and Forgotten Places coastal greening. The charity is funded by individual donations, corporate partnerships, and grants from trusts and government funds, and supports delivery with volunteer engagement and free educational resources.
Product overview
Trees for Cities is a UK charity offering a portfolio of interconnected tree planting, education, and community engagement programmes. The core offering includes urban tree planting across UK towns and cities, the Trees for Schools programme with Edible Playgrounds, Trees for Streets sponsorship, and the Tree Cities of the World recognition programme. Supporting programmes include the Trees Breathe Life coastal campaign, Forgotten Places greening initiatives, and the Tree Equity for Hartlepool project. International operations span Kenya and Rwanda. The organisation supplements its planting work with free educational resources, guides, and the Tree Times newsletter for community engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Trees Breathe Life: A campaign promoting the transformational impact urban trees bring to urban communities, with focus on greening coastal towns and cities.
- Edible Playgrounds
- Tree Cities of the World
Products and services
- Urban Trees Programme Primary community tree planting programme across UK towns and cities, bringing residents, volunteers, and local groups together to plant and care for urban trees where canopy cover is lowest.
- Trees for Schools School-based programme connecting children to tree planting and the natural world, including Edible Playgrounds that transform school grounds into outdoor fruit and vegetable gardens for learning and play.
- Edible Playgrounds Multi-award-winning programme transforming school playgrounds into vibrant outdoor fruit and vegetable gardens with trees, raised beds, and growing spaces for outdoor learning and play.
- Trees for Streets National Street Tree Sponsorship Scheme enabling communities to sponsor and plant trees on local streets.
- Tree Cities of the World (UK) UK programme led by Trees for Cities that recognises towns and cities committed to effective urban forestry management, in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation and UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
- International Programme (Kenya and Rwanda) Tree planting and food growing projects in Kenya and Rwanda delivered in partnership with local organisations including Trees for Kenya, COSDEP, and ANA.
- Tree Equity for Hartlepool Flagship tree equity project in Hartlepool, one of the lowest Tree Equity Score areas in England, planting trees and engaging local communities through workshops and planting days; delivered with Hartlepool Borough Council, The Woodland Trust, Thirteen, Treeconomics, Tees Community Forest, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and The Linbury Trust.
- Forgotten Places: Greening Coastal Towns and Cities Coastal tree planting initiative covering Bexhill, Brighton, Great Yarmouth, Hull, Portsmouth, Ramsgate, and Stockton-On-Tees, planting over 55,000 trees across 83 locations; supported by the £1.2M Green Recovery Challenge Fund grant.
- Tree Planting Guide for Coastal Areas Comprehensive guide co-developed with Forest Research for coastal local authorities covering species selection, soil and salinity considerations, and case studies for tree planting in saline, wind-exposed environments.
- Corporate Partnerships Programme Corporate volunteering, marketing and sponsorship partnerships, and corporate giving programmes for businesses, including team planting days, branded sponsorship of named projects, and ongoing corporate giving.
- Volunteer Programme Community tree planting events and volunteer opportunities engaging thousands of volunteers annually across UK urban areas, including national campaigns such as National Tree Week.
Quantifiable outcome
- Trees can make urban areas up to 8°C cooler than surrounding countryside, mitigating urban heat island effect
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Trees for Cities
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Trees for Cities technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature3 records
Trees for Cities partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Hartlepool Borough CouncilcoreDelivery partner in Tree Equity for Hartlepool project - a flagship tree equity initiative targeting one of the lowest Tree Equity Scores in England. The council works alongside Trees for Cities to green the streets of Hartlepool and empower local communities.
- The Woodland TrustcorePartner in the Tree Equity for Hartlepool project, bringing expertise in woodland creation and tree planting to the collaborative initiative.
- ThirteensupportingHousing partner in the Hartlepool Tree Equity project, contributing to community engagement and tree planting on housing land.
- TreeconomicssupportingPartner providing economic analysis and tree valuation expertise for the Hartlepool Tree Equity project.
- Tees Community ForestsupportingRegional partner in the Hartlepool Tree Equity project supporting tree planting and community forest initiatives.
- Sensory TrustcorePartner in Collective Climate Repair project and sensory-friendly guided tree walks, working to make nature accessible to blind, partially sighted, deaf and hard of hearing people.
- Nature Nurture CICsupportingPartner in Growing among Trees project, contributing to tree, woodland and nature resources for schools.
- Trees for KenyacoreInternational partner for Kenyan tree planting projects, working on urban greening in Kenyan schools and communities.
- COSDEPcoreKenyan non-profit partner for creating organic fruit and vegetable gardens in schools, with training manual developed for agroecological organic agriculture and tree planting.
- ANA (Rwanda)coreInternational partner for tree planting in Rwanda, planting trees across schools in partnership.
- Garden OrganicsupportingDelivery partner providing organic growing expertise and tips for school food growing programmes.
- Forest ResearchcoreCo-developed the Tree Planting Guide for Coastal Areas with Trees for Cities, providing scientific expertise for coastal tree planting guidance.
- Davies White Landscape ArchitectssupportingPartner in Planting Healthy Air school projects, co-designing healthy playgrounds with pupils.
- Lancaster UniversitysupportingResearch partner in Planting Healthy Air project, supporting pupil-led teams to use portable monitors to investigate pollution levels.
- Grow CardiffsupportingDelivery partner for Cardiff Edible Playgrounds scheme, supporting the transformation of school playgrounds.
- Royal Warrant Holders AssociationsupportingPartner for His Majesty's coronation tree planting across the UK, supporting tree planting initiatives.
- American ForestssupportingDeveloped the original Tree Equity concept and model that underpins the Tree Equity Score UK tool.
- Woodland TrustsupportingPartner in developing the UK version of Tree Equity Score tool alongside Trees for Cities and Centre for Sustainable Healthcare.
- Centre for Sustainable HealthcaresupportingPartner in developing the Tree Equity Score UK map to help address disparities in urban tree distribution.
- Heathrow Community TrustsupportingPartner in Ealing Tree Festival delivery alongside Trees for Cities and London Borough of Ealing.
- Ealing CouncilsupportingCouncil partner for Ealing Tree Festival, collaborating on the first ever tree festival in the borough.
- Cardiff CouncilcoreWorking partnership for delivery of ten Edible Playgrounds across primary schools as part of Cardiff 2030 Vision.
- The Lost WoodssupportingVolunteer-led initiative that Trees for Cities supported for Glasgow Children's Woodland, empowering 151 Glasgow schools.
- Carbon CopysupportingCreated interactive map of councils that have declared Climate Emergency and their carbon emissions for climate action promotion.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Trees for Cities competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Trees for Cities social profiles
Digital presenceTrees for Cities compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Trees for Cities financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Trees for Cities leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Trees for Cities funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Trees for Cities M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Trees for Cities
What does Trees for Cities do?
Trees for Cities is a UK charitable company limited by guarantee that plants and cares for urban trees across towns and cities in the UK and selectively in East Africa. Its portfolio spans community tree planting events, the Trees for Schools programme with Edible Playgrounds, the Trees for Streets sponsorship scheme, the Tree Cities of the World recognition programme, and flagship tree equity projects such as Tree Equity for Hartlepool and Forgotten Places coastal greening. The charity is funded by individual donations, corporate partnerships, and grants from trusts and government funds, and supports delivery with volunteer engagement and free educational resources.
Is Trees for Cities a public or private company?
Trees for Cities is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Trees for Cities founded?
Trees for Cities was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Trees for Cities based?
Trees for Cities is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Trees for Cities make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships, government and Trust Funding and fundraising.
Does Trees for Cities have an API?
No public API is recorded for Trees for Cities.
What industry is Trees for Cities in?
Trees for Cities's product category is Urban Forestry and Environmental Charity Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAMACAL, Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting, with a secondary code of BPAGAGAD, Forestry & Reforestation. Its NAICS code is 115310 and its SIC code is 800.