what we do
The Orchard Project is the only national charity dedicated solely to creating, maintaining and celebrating community orchards.
We aim to make a serious contribution to a better food system, based on people working together where they live to produce and harvest their own fruit.
We work closely with community groups in hubs around England, Scotland and Wales helping to design and create new orchards that will last for decades to come, as well as restoring old, neglected heritage orchards. We rebuild orcharding skills and knowledge, hold fantastic orchard celebration events, and help groups make the most of their harvests.
If you would like support and advice with anything from summer pruning to designing your own orchard, it might be something we could help with. We have a range of options available, including free support in regions where we currently have funding to work with community groups. Find out more about requesting support at this link:
Our aim is that everyone in cities across the UK is within walking distance of a productive, well-cared-for, community-run orchard. We believe that orchards have the potential to build stronger communities by providing cherished, nature-rich community food spaces and empowering people to make positive change where they live.
We’ve come a long way from 2009, when our founders Rowena Ganguli and Carina Millstone set up the London Orchard Project, inspired by a shared vision of a capital city covered in fruit trees. But we remain true to what originally inspired them: the desire to bring neighbours together to nurture their local environments into productive, resilient and beautiful spaces.
The Future of UK Orchard Fruit
We were part of an extensive research report into the challenges facing the UK’s orchard fruit growers. It also offers an inspiring action plan for how we could all work together to create a better future.
Find out more about the different aspects of our work by selecting one of the boxes below:
Climate crisis and the role of orchards
Since our inception, The Orchard Project has consistently viewed community orchards as contributing to climate solutions, particularly in urban areas. As the climate crisis worsens, we are striving to apply our expertise more than ever to this end. Read our Climate Crisis Response Strategy here.