At the turning of the year, I will step down as Chair of The Orchard Project. I’ve enjoyed nine years on the Board, the length of time it takes many orchard trees to mature and produce a reliable crop.
This perfectly reflects the growth and maturing I have witnessed in my nine years with The Orchard Project. I joined the Board of an organisation packed full of passion, energy, ideas and small roots, like a young sapling.
Now, nine years on, we engage with our ecosystem with insight and experience. The passion remains undimmed, but we are confident in our unique contribution to the world.
A dynamic ecosystem
We see many signs that The Orchard Project is on the map; part of a dynamic ecosystem: funders and donors seek us out; partner organisations and landowners approach us for expertise and guidance; and communities up and down the country, across cities in England, Scotland and Wales, come to us to assist them to create orchards in their local spaces.
We have a profile and visibility that reflects our growing track record and enables us to attract increasingly diverse, skilful, and ambitious people to join our staff and Board.
Orchards are fantastic for biodiversity; the spaces around the trees provides habitats for different species to co-exist. This is also true of The Orchard Project itself. We bring orchards to the heart of communities, and the green spaces we co-create with them bring many benefits to the people who get involved, along with the nearby community.
As well as providing a fun and positive way to get to know your neighbours and build a sense of belonging, our projects demonstrate how getting involved with an orchard enhances health and wellbeing, both physical and emotional. Working in an orchard involves practical hands-on activities that enable communities to learn new skills, gain confidence, and feel they are making a real difference to overlooked or unloved spaces in their own neighbourhoods.
We’ve shown that planning, planting, caring for and celebrating community orchards provide a catalyst for creating community connection in an increasingly disconnected world…
… and they bring people together to share a mutual respect and care for nature. This approach which benefits both people and bio-diversity is core to work to address the climate and biodiversity crisis. We believe community orchards are a powerful way of bringing people together to take positive action and make regenerative connections close to home.
Because we want to make the greatest difference to people’s lives, much of our work is within the most marginalised communities in areas of urban deprivation. Our vision – for everyone in cities across the UK to be within walking distance of a thriving community orchard – is inclusive.
The whole organisation is increasingly focused on diversifying our work and ensuring our projects reflect the incredibly complex range of communities we serve. We proactively engage in meaningful project development work with groups and communities led by Black people and people of colour to develop orchard programmes that better reflect need in these communities.
Orchards have been a feature of the UK landscape for many centuries and hold a special place in many people’s hearts. In our cities The Orchard Project is generating the skills and expertise that will enable these special places to engage and include all communities, in truly diverse biodiversity. This is essential work.
Online inspiration
Underpinning our hands-on activities across UK cities, our online presence also motivates people and creatively animates our work and mission. The Orchard Project website and social media are exciting and vibrant, appealing to growing numbers of supporters with our unique combination of inspiration, training, resources, practical action, and tips to create positive change.
Our approach to establishing our place in the world involves collaboration and partnership. We are part of a thriving network of orchard groups across the UK and we are growing our ability to offer perspectives that support and energise the wider movement.
Becoming a fruitful ‘mother tree’
Returning to that eager young sapling I mentioned earlier, over my nine years as a Trustee the inspiration and passion has been sustained, undimmed. This is complemented by more focus and connectedness. As I step into a different relationship with the charity, I know the roots of our growing community will continue to connect and deepen.
I am confident that The Orchard Project will continue to adapt to future challenges and grow into a resilient and fruitful ‘mother tree’ that makes a creative and positive contribution to a regenerative and inclusive future for us all.
By Catherine Andrews (pictured above)
This blog was written in December 2023