Douglas Wood Charity

The Douglas Wood Fund was set up for promoting the education and training of young persons (up to the age of 25) in farming, horticulture, agriculture, land and estate management, environmental protection and conservation or any other or any similar profession or trade. The fund is open for applications from YMCAs across England & Wales.

The recent removal of the permanent endowment increases the support available for new and existing projects that meet the objects above. See the policy statement for more details.

Please complete the application form and send to Jamie Hutchinson [email protected].

Application Form

Applications are considered by the National Board at their quarterly meetings.

A short project report may be required from the project group. The grant report form can be found here for reference.

Applications are limited to one per YMCA in any one financial year. This is a modest fund, and grants will reflect this.

Recent successful applications have included projects that support 16–25-year-olds with horticulture and environmental stewardship skills, designed for young people who require life skills development and health and wellbeing support, providing them with the right environment to gain essential competencies. This project focused on combining horticulture, maintenance, and rural activities to engage young people and enhance their mental health and wellbeing while they learn. By providing a safe space where young people can express themselves through practical and creative hands-on activities, the aim is to foster personal growth and skill development. The three key strands of activities included:

Further details for the Fund can be found on the Charity Commission page.