LOCAL schools, parish councils or other organisations with land and that is open to the public are being invited to apply for money to create a community orchard.
A £50,000 grant was awarded to Wiltshire Council to fund the planting of community orchards as part of a new government tree planting initiative to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III. This grant money is being distributed among eligible projects across the county.
The orchards can be on private or public land as long as there is community involvement. Wiltshire Council’s Coronation Living Heritage Orchard Fund will support the purchase of trees, protection measures and establishment costs as well as commemorative signage. Planting will take place in autumn/winter 2024-2025, allowing plenty of time to plan the orchard appropriately.
The council aims to use this opportunity to develop green skills including orchard maintenance and traditional wood craft techniques, as well as to encourage orchard celebrations such as wassails and apple pressing days.
Cllr Dominic Muns, cabinet member for environment, said, “This is a very exciting project to be a part of and I would encourage people to apply for the funding so we can have as many community orchards across the county as possible.
“It will be great to see our community come together and I look forward in time to seeing what fruits will be harvested from the orchards.
“A key priority in our business plan is taking responsibility for the environment and one of our long-term aims is to increase our tree canopy coverage to 17%, in line with national government targets.”
To apply for funding and for more information about the Coronation Living Heritage Orchard Fund, visit: https://shorturl.at/ipY67
