And that’s a wrap!
Our busiest tree planting season has come to an end with a brilliant community planting session at Bevendean Crescent. Winter 2021/22 has seen us plant 138 new fruit and nut trees across Brighton & Hove, Peacehaven and Adur & Worthing.
We have been lucky to work with a range of funders to make these community orchards possible. We have planted five smaller community orchards with 50 trees, made possible either through funds raised by local community groups or through generous donations from our local business sponsors Infinity Foods and CoirProducts.
We have also continued to benefit from the Urban Tree Challenge Fund run by the Forestry Commission and delivered by us in partnership with Trees for Cities. Thanks to this fund we have been able to add 88 more trees to existing orchards in designated communities within Coldean, Bevendean, Moulsecoomb and Peacehaven while taking on new sites at Southwick and Shoreham; plus adding a whole new annexe of land at our flagship orchard at Racehill, Whitehawk. We are all set to add even more trees – another 65 – this is coming winter in Bevendean and Worthing.
While that might be the end of the tree planting season our work doesn’t stop there. We now need to add these new sites to our existing list of community orchards that we regularly support. Our expert tree workers provide after-care to trees, and training to local people to help them learn how to look after their new community orchards and to ensure the trees thrive as a legacy for the future.
Thank you to everyone who has worked on, volunteered for, sponsored or supported the tree planting projects!
If you are interested in helping support local community orchards or planting one yourself please contact us.
