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Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum is an independent registered charity working in partnership with Forestry England to support and enhance Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, located near Tetbury in Gloucestershire. Spanning 250 hectares of woodland, the Arboretum is home to one of the world’s most important tree collections and welcomes over half a million visitors each year.

Across every season, Westonbirt offers breathtaking colour, height and depth, inspiring people of all ages through conservation, education and participation. The Friends exist to connect people with trees and improve quality of life through this extraordinary landscape.

The Challenge: Rebuilding Relationships and Fundraising Focus

For more than 40 years, The Friends has worked to add value to Westonbirt through membership income, trusts and foundations, and legacy giving. Their Westonbirt Project (2013–2017) was a tremendous success, raising £6.7 million and playing a pivotal role in modernising the Arboretum, enhancing accessibility and strengthening its value for enjoyment and learning.

However, following the conclusion of that capital campaign, momentum inevitably shifted. A period of organisational change, including the loss of key staff, meant that fundraising infrastructure and stewardship processes were not maintained at the same level. Income streams that had previously been strong began to plateau, and relationships with some long-standing funders drifted.

By 2023, a new CEO had a clear and ambitious vision for the future of The Friends, but with a small team largely focused on membership, there was limited capacity to reshape fundraising strategy, re-engage major supporters and present projects to external funders in a compelling way. The potential was clear, but it needed structure, focus and renewed energy.

Our Approach: Listening, Assessing and Creating Direction

We were brought in to help The Friends regain momentum following the conclusion of their major capital campaign. With a new CEO in place and a clear vision for the future, the opportunity was not about starting from scratch, but about rebuilding structure, strengthening relationships and creating a more sustainable fundraising model that could support long-term growth.

Our first priority was to assess the existing funding landscape, reviewing relationships with Forestry England, analysing the donor database and examining how projects were being presented externally. Together, we identified a focused portfolio of priority projects aligned with both Forestry England’s strategic aims and trust funder priorities. We re-engaged long-standing grant makers whose support had lapsed, developed clear and compelling cases for support, and built multi-year proposals to provide greater stability. Alongside income generation, we helped strengthen internal systems, streamline reporting processes and shape a clearer grant-making policy, ensuring fundraising activity was sustainable rather than reactive.

Alongside trust fundraising, we were commissioned to explore the potential for renewed major donor engagement.  The Friends has a loyal membership base of around 39,000 people and had previously raised over £5 million through the Westonbirt Project, demonstrating strong high-value fundraising capability, but relationships had not been consistently stewarded post-campaign. . Our role was to understand how that momentum could be re-established. Through a structured feasibility process, we conducted in-depth conversations with key long-term supporters, analysed a substantial pool of lapsed donors, and undertook wealth screening across the membership base. This enabled The Friends to identify high-potential prospects, segment their database more effectively and rebuild engagement with greater intention and care. Importantly, the work provided insight into how supporters wished to be communicated with, creating a stronger foundation for future high-value relationships.

Our Impact: Securing Stability and Renewed Momentum

Since working together, The Friends have secured significant new funding while also strengthening the foundations for long-term sustainability.

To date, £714,522 has been secured from trusts and foundations, with a further £127,000 currently awaiting decision. Much of this funding is multi-year, providing stability and enabling forward planning rather than short-term delivery. Grants have supported community woodland planting and conservation initiatives, improved access and inclusion across the site, expanded community engagement programmes, and investment in key roles including trainee arborists and learning officers.

Alongside new income, relationships with both new and previously lapsed funders have been successfully re-established, and collaboration with Forestry England has strengthened joint funding cases.

On the major donor side, the feasibility work created clarity and direction. The Friends now have a clearly segmented pool of high-potential prospects, a structured reactivation plan for 739 lapsed high-value donors, and improved database systems to support intentional stewardship. Importantly, the organisation now has deeper insight into how supporters wish to be engaged, enabling more thoughtful and consistent relationship-building.

The Future: Building on Strong Foundations

The Friends now operate with clearer messaging, stronger internal processes and renewed confidence in their fundraising capability. Income growth has been matched by greater strategic focus, positioning the organisation for sustained progress rather than short-term recovery.

With a strengthened in-house fundraising team, multi-year funding secured and a prioritised portfolio of projects, The Friends are building on the tremendous success of the Westonbirt Project and re-establishing long-term relationships with major supporters.

The next phase focuses on deepening high-value engagement, continuing to grow trust and foundation income, and embedding stewardship at the heart of their approach. With a robust pipeline, clearer collaboration with Forestry England and a loyal membership base behind them, The Friends are well placed to support and enhance one of the most beautiful and important arboreta in the world for generations to come.

“We are delighted with what Orchard Fundraising has achieved. Securing multi-year funding is very important to ensure long-term sustainability. Orchard gave us access to experienced fundraising support at a pivotal time, helping us rebuild relationships, strengthen systems and shape a clear strategic direction. A joy to work with.”