Meg heard about The Orchard Project’s Community Orcharding Course whilst working at a local community centre. She enrolled on the course and hoped to use her skills to create an orchard in their community garden.
She was particularly looking forward to learning practical skills such as pruning and grafting. Sadly, her job at the community centre came to end and this brought with it mental health challenges.
Meg became unemployed, and through this time of uncertainty the orcharding course offered social connection and a welcome routine.
“The CICO course became a really important, consistent thing to do. Living in the centre of a city it really helped to know every two weeks I’d be outside learning practical skills with a group of great people.” – Meg
“What I learned on that day gave me the confidence that I could lead a group and use the tools we learned.” – Meg
After the course she subsequently secured a part-time job as a Community Woodland Assistant in Glasgow where she is using the skills she learned to lead outdoor activities with groups of residents.
Megan Stuart completed CICO (Certificate in Community Orcharding) course in Lanarkshire, Scotland. She works part time as a Community Woodland Assistant and as a bike mechanic whilst studying for a Masters Degree in Climate Justice.