Delicious UK - (10)October 2020

16 deliciousmagazine.co.uk

Imagineifeveryonelivedinwalkingdistanceoffreshapples,pearsandplumstopick.That,

alongwitha reinvigorationoftheUK’sorchardheritage,istheinspiringgoalofvisionary

charityTheOrchardProject andit’shavinga remarkableeffectonvolunteers’wellbeing

In2009,sustainablefoodadvocate

CarinaMillstoneenvisageda

Londonbloomingwithfruittrees.

Inspiredbythelegacyoftheplane

trees,plantedenmasseinthecityby

theVictorians,Carinabelievedfruit

treescouldhavethesamelong-

lastingimpactforpeoplelivingin

urbanareas.Withentrepreneur

RowenaGanguli,Carinafounded

TheLondonOrchardProjectto

helpthecity’scommunitiescreate

orchards,preserveheritageskills

andcelebratehome-grownfruit.

THEMISSION

TheinitiativesoongrewintoThe

OrchardProjectcharityandreached

Birmingham,Manchester,Leeds,

GlasgowandEdinburgh.This

autumn,they’llopenthefirstWelsh

officeinSwansea.

TheaimofTheOrchardProjectis

foreveryhomeineveryUKcityto

bewithinwalkingdistanceofa

community-runorchard.Building

a networkoforchards– byrestoring

oldonesandplantingnewones–

requireswillinghandsand

availableland.“Wedooutreach

work,orcommunitiesapproachus

becausetheywanttoplanttreesin

theirarea,”explainsAbbyCremin,

HeadofOperationsand

Programmes.“Itcouldbeon

a housingestate,ina localpark– or

justa patchofunusedgreenspace.”

If thefundingpotallowsand WORDS: LAURA DAY. PHOTOGRAPHS: THE ORCHARD PROJECT, HOLLY PICKERING, TOM BROADHEAD

thereareenoughpeoplewhowant

tobeinvolved,thecharityworks

withthecommunitytodesignand

planttheorchard(fiveormorefruit

treesareclassedasanorchard).It

alsorunsworkshopsforpeopleto

learnkeyskillssuchaspruning,

diseasecontrolandcidermaking;

there’sevenanaccreditedcoursein

managingcommunityorchards.

“Theideais thatit’snotour

orchard,it’stheirorchard,”says

Abby.“Thecommunitytakes

responsibilityforcaringforit long

term.Ourjobis togivethemthe

toolsandsupporttheyneedtokeep

caringforthetreesovertheyears.”

Injustovera decade,TheOrchard

Projecthasrestoredandplanted

ONE VISION, 11 YEARS,

540 ORCH A R DS