Enjoy the fruits of our labour
COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS CREATE ORCHARD ON LAND BLIGHTED BY FLY-TIPPERS
A ONCE-DISUSED patch of land is now full of potential, thanks to a community project supported by local volunteers.
The Barlow Road Community Orchard has been planted as part of a push from residents for more trees in their Levenshulme neighbourhood.
Rachael Antwis and Lizzie Meade spotted the land on Barlow Road, which had been blighted by fly-tippers, soon after moving to the area and hatched a plan to reclaim it for the community.
With advice from Incredible Edible Levenshulme, Rachael and Lizzie hit on the idea of planting fruit trees, which would in time create a supply of food for the local community to harvest, as well as improving the area’s appearance.
After hearing about Manchester council’s Neighbourhood Investment
Fund, Rachael successfully applied for a grant, which was used to purchase apple, cobnut and plum trees, plus gardening tools and signage to mark the space as an asset for the community.
The first step was to clear away litter and cut back overgrown vegetation, before planting the trees in the newly-reclaimed area.
Around 30 local people came out to take part in three volunteer sessions to prepare the land and plant the saplings, putting in a combined 100 hours of their time.
Rachael said: “As soon as Lizzie saw the land, she thought it would be perfect for a community orchard.
“I’d heard about the Neighbourhood Investment Fund and thought it would be an ideal way to turn the idea into reality.
“After we got the funding, Incredible Edible Levenshulme were great in terms of offering advice on the best types of trees to plant and how to care for them.
“The trees are still young, but they are healthy and doing well.
“Fly-tipping in the area has definitely reduced, so it’s made a big difference for the neighbourhood.
“It’s great to see that people are respecting this new community space.”
Lizzie said: “We didn’t really have a great deal of experience, but we could see that the space was under-utilised, so we got involved.
“It was great to see how people rallied round, keen to see more trees in the area and to help with the tidy-up.”
Rachael added: “This has been part of a wider effort to plant trees in the Levenshulme area and we’d like to plant more. It’s great for the community to see the trees, but it’s also part of the local response to the climate emergency.” Manchester council’s executive member for neighbourhoods, Coun Rabnawaz Akbar, said: “We’re very proud to have been able to support this brilliant project, which has made a real difference.”