The Tree Council

What The Tree Council does

The Tree Council is a UK-registered charity (charity number 279000) founded in 1973 and headquartered in Canada Water, London. It operates as an umbrella body that convenes individuals, local authorities, schools, community groups, corporate partners, and government bodies around the planting and care of trees and hedgerows. The organization employs between 11 and 50 people and is led by Chief Executive Sara Lom.

Its core programmes fall into four categories: (1) grant-making funds — including the £2.5 million Trees Outside Woodland Fund co-funded by Defra, the Branching Out Fund, the SP Energy Networks Community Tree Planting Fund (£2,500–£10,000 grants for Scotland), the Network Rail Community Tree Planting Fund (England, Scotland and Wales), and the National Highways Community Trees Programme (England); (2) volunteer and community infrastructure — principally the national Tree Warden Scheme and the Growing Together community tree nursery programme delivered with M&G plc; (3) education programmes — Young Tree Champions and Orchards for Schools; and (4) seasonal public campaigns such as National Tree Week, National Hedgerow Week, Seed Gathering Season, and Trees Love Care.

The Tree Council does not sell products or services and operates a non-commercial revenue model. Funding comes from government grants (Defra), corporate partnerships (SP Energy Networks, Network Rail, National Highways, M&G plc), individual donations, and a charity membership scheme. It distributes grants to community groups, schools, NGOs, and local authorities, and coordinates a national volunteer network of Tree Wardens. The organization publishes research on tree health threats (ash dieback, oak processionary moth) and maintains guidance resources for tree planting, hedge planting, and woodland strategy development.

Name

The Tree Council

Legal name

The Tree Council

Website

https://treecouncil.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Tree Council is a UK charity that runs national tree-planting grant programmes, the Tree Warden volunteer network, youth education initiatives, and seasonal campaigns, partnering with Defra, Network Rail, National Highways, SP Energy Networks, and M&G plc to fund community tree planting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting (AFAMACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tree Planting & Establishment Services (Manual/Mechanized) (AFAMACAE), Tree Health Care (Diagnosis, Treatment, Fertilization) (HSAIADAD)

Keywords

• Tree planting charity
• Environmental conservation
• Community tree programs
• Tree planting grants
• Hedgerow conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

London, Southwark

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants from Government and Partners: Receives funding from government bodies (Defra) and corporate partners to distribute as grants for tree planting projects. The Trees Outside Woodland Fund is co-funded by Defra.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with companies like SP Energy Networks, Network Rail, National Highways, and M&G plc to deliver tree planting programs and community engagement initiatives.
3. Donations: Individual donations from supporters who want to contribute to tree planting and conservation efforts.
4. Membership Scheme: Charity membership program with various charity members and partners.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Tree Council is a UK-registered national charity (number 279000) that operates as an umbrella body for tree and hedgerow conservation. It distributes grants to community groups, schools, and local authorities for tree planting projects; coordinates a national volunteer network of Tree Wardens; runs youth education programmes such as Young Tree Champions and Orchards for Schools; and partners with infrastructure companies (SP Energy Networks, Network Rail, National Highways) and government (Defra) to deliver funded programmes.

Product overview

The Tree Council is a UK-wide charity serving as an umbrella body that brings together organizations, government, communities, and individuals to care for trees and the planet's future. Rather than a single product, The Tree Council operates a portfolio of interconnected programmes including grant funding schemes (Trees Outside Woodland Fund, Branching Out Fund, SP Energy Networks and Network Rail Community Tree Planting Funds), volunteer networks (Tree Wardens), youth education initiatives (Young Tree Champions, Orchards for Schools), seasonal awareness campaigns (National Tree Week, National Hedgerow Week, Seed Gathering Season), and knowledge resources (Guidance Hub, toolkits). These offerings work together to inspire and empower action at national and local levels for tree conservation and planting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tree Wardens

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,000+ trees established through SP Energy Networks partnership
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SP Energy Networks (SPEN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year partnership with electricity network operator to deliver the SP Energy Networks Community Tree Planting Fund (now in its third year). Provides £2,500-£10,000 grants for tree establishment projects across central and southern Scotland where SPEN operates the electricity transmission and distribution grids. Over 15,000 trees already established through this partnership.
• Network RailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver the Network Rail Community Tree Planting Fund for tree planting at railway stations and surrounding areas across England, Scotland, and Wales. Network Rail facilitates local partnerships, provides volunteer leave, and allows charity collections at its managed stations.
• National HighwayscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the National Highways Community Trees Programme, providing free trees for planting along the highway network in England.
• M&G plccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic delivery partner for the Growing Together programme, transforming communities through locally grown trees. M&G plc provides funding support for this community tree growing initiative.
• Defra (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner that doubled investment in community trees, enabling the £2.5m Trees Outside Woodland Fund. Supports The Tree Council's role in distributing government environmental funding.
• Local AuthoritiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivery partners in tree planting initiatives. Local Tree Warden Coordinators, who may be local council employees or independent volunteers, help coordinate tree planting and care at the local level.
• Action OakminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivery partner focused on oak tree conservation and research, supporting efforts to protect the UK's oak trees from threats like oak processionary moth.
• Life on the Hedge ProgrammeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for hedgerow research and conservation, including the Life on the Hedge Podcast and hedgerow trials at Hadley Wood.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Trees for Cities: Trees for Cities is a UK charity focused on planting and caring for trees in cities, working with communities, schools, businesses, and local authorities. It is a close analogue to The Tree Council's urban and community planting, grant-led engagement, and partnership model.
• The National Forest Company: The National Forest Company coordinates large-scale woodland creation and community tree planting through partnerships in a defined UK landscape. It is comparable in programme administration, tree establishment, and community engagement, while operating at a more concentrated geographic scale.

Broad incumbents

• Woodland Trust: The Woodland Trust is a large UK woodland conservation charity that plants and protects trees, manages woodland, and mobilizes members and partners. It is comparable in tree conservation, public engagement, and national partnership fundraising, although its land-management operations are broader.
• Groundwork: Groundwork is a UK environmental regeneration charity working through local teams, volunteers, and partners on green-space and community projects. It is comparable in community engagement and partnership-led environmental delivery, although it is not tree-specialist.
• The Conservation Volunteers: The Conservation Volunteers is a UK environmental charity that mobilizes volunteers and partners to improve green spaces and community wellbeing. It is comparable in volunteer-led environmental delivery and local partnerships, though its activities extend well beyond tree planting.
• The Wildlife Trusts: The Wildlife Trusts is a network of local conservation organizations protecting habitats and engaging volunteers across the UK. It is comparable in grassroots conservation distribution, advocacy, and public engagement, but covers a much broader set of habitats and species.
• Royal Forestry Society: The Royal Forestry Society is a UK membership and education body for woodland owners, managers, and forestry professionals. It is comparable in technical guidance, conservation knowledge, and a sector network, but is less focused on community grantmaking.

Regional players

• Arbor Day Foundation: The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit focused on tree planting, education, and member and community programs, primarily in North America. It is comparable in tree-planting mission and donor engagement, but operates primarily outside the UK.
• Trees for Life: Trees for Life is a Scotland-focused conservation charity restoring native woodland through tree planting and volunteer action. It is comparable in tree establishment and community stewardship, but is narrower in geography and ecological scope.
• International Tree Foundation: The International Tree Foundation is a tree-planting and forest-restoration charity that connects communities and partners internationally. It is comparable to The Tree Council's conservation mission and community-led delivery, but its work is not primarily UK-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-tree-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Tree Council