Planting the first trees and putting up a sign declaring the site a community orchard.
Sunday 28 March 2010
Planting the first trees
Planting the first trees and putting up a sign declaring the site a community orchard.
Highfields Community Orchard - day 1
It was forecast rain, but the sun was shining on a litter strewn patch of grass in a Huddersfield street. A few people turned up early with spades, bits of wood, gloves, bin bags – and six apple tree saplings.
By noon there were over thirty five people – mostly neighbours who had barely met before today – picking up litter, collecting glass bottles and fly-tipped rubbish. Six full black bags taken to the tip and a box was filled with collected bottles for recycling.
Meanwhile signs were put up declaring this ‘an ideal site for a community orchard’ and naming the site ‘Highfields Community Orchard’. A poster explained that the land is owned by the local Council. A petition of 150 names was presented in Sept 2009, and followed up with email exchanges with decision makers, but permission had not yet been granted for an orchard as the land has value as a site for housing or development, and would be sold once ‘the market improves’.
One of those on the site said ‘We want to show that we’re serious about making this a community orchard – there is community support, we are willing to do the work, we can get organised. Anyhow, we had some trees and the planting season is just about over’.
Highfields Community Orchard is now a space for food, picnics, play, learning and wildlife – to improve the health, cohesion and sustainability of a community. It’s not an area without problems. Litter, drug dealing and criminal damage is not uncommon. The orchard is on the border of Greenhead and Newsome wards, but also where affluent Edgerton meets Highfields – an area the statistics identify as one of the 10% most disadvantaged in the country.
Those who turned out to dig, tidy and play were diverse in age, ethnicity and ability. Working together for a few hours they turned a neglected patch of land into a community space. Once the work was done, the children played together while neighbours talked about what to do next. What other planting should be done? Where could we get trees donated from? Should there be an organisation? What would the Council say? Could there be community events on the site? The experience was enjoyable, and there was plenty of enthusiasm for more.
They know that vandalism could destroy what was created today. They know that the Council might put raising funds before their need for a community space.
The six apple trees planted in a broad circle stand as evidence that this community has people who are ready, willing and able to come together to make it a better place to live. All they need to do now is persuade the local Council to back the project.
By noon there were over thirty five people – mostly neighbours who had barely met before today – picking up litter, collecting glass bottles and fly-tipped rubbish. Six full black bags taken to the tip and a box was filled with collected bottles for recycling.
Meanwhile signs were put up declaring this ‘an ideal site for a community orchard’ and naming the site ‘Highfields Community Orchard’. A poster explained that the land is owned by the local Council. A petition of 150 names was presented in Sept 2009, and followed up with email exchanges with decision makers, but permission had not yet been granted for an orchard as the land has value as a site for housing or development, and would be sold once ‘the market improves’.
One of those on the site said ‘We want to show that we’re serious about making this a community orchard – there is community support, we are willing to do the work, we can get organised. Anyhow, we had some trees and the planting season is just about over’.
Highfields Community Orchard is now a space for food, picnics, play, learning and wildlife – to improve the health, cohesion and sustainability of a community. It’s not an area without problems. Litter, drug dealing and criminal damage is not uncommon. The orchard is on the border of Greenhead and Newsome wards, but also where affluent Edgerton meets Highfields – an area the statistics identify as one of the 10% most disadvantaged in the country.
Those who turned out to dig, tidy and play were diverse in age, ethnicity and ability. Working together for a few hours they turned a neglected patch of land into a community space. Once the work was done, the children played together while neighbours talked about what to do next. What other planting should be done? Where could we get trees donated from? Should there be an organisation? What would the Council say? Could there be community events on the site? The experience was enjoyable, and there was plenty of enthusiasm for more.
They know that vandalism could destroy what was created today. They know that the Council might put raising funds before their need for a community space.
The six apple trees planted in a broad circle stand as evidence that this community has people who are ready, willing and able to come together to make it a better place to live. All they need to do now is persuade the local Council to back the project.
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