Charity for adults with disabilities moves farms and plans community orchard
A charity that provides support for adults with learning difficulties has moved farms and launched a fundraiser.
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Bethphage had been leasing Oak Farm in Ditton Priors but recently bought its own site in Lower Sutton Farm in Sutton, Chelmarsh.
Following a consultation last year, the charity has now left Oak Farm and moved to the new site.
They are now planning to create a Community Orchard on the new farm, 'Blossom Barns'.
The charity said Shropshire Council will be reviewing the project idea over the next few weeks and if it decides to support it, they may use UK prosperity funding to pay for up to 70 per cent of the overall project cost (capped at £20,000).
Bethphage said it hosted its first coffee morning on the new farm earlier this month and raised over £500 towards this project.
The orchard will feature wildflowers planted throughout to encourage biodiversity and support the fruit trees.
There will be seated areas for visitors to relax and enjoy the orchard as well as accessible paths to ensure the area is inclusive to everyone.
This project aims to bring people together for a shared purpose, creating a thriving natural community habitat by attracting more wildlife. It will raise awareness of food, nature, the environment, and the “eat what you grow” movement, while supporting local produce. It is a collaborative effort with the community, people with learning disabilities and nature groups to develop a valuable resource that will grow for years to come.
Ceri Burgess, the Blossom Barns manager said: “The Community Orchard project is something we really want the public to get behind as it is the first step towards our bigger vision for the site at Blossom Barns.
"The orchard project itself involves teamwork, educational value and at the end of the process - it will provide a beautiful space which everyone can be proud of, utilise and enjoy. The produce gathered from the orchard will be used in our jams, chutneys and seasonal cooking workshops. We will involve the community in this space as much as we can over the coming years in a variety of ways. It's an exciting time to get involved with Blossom Barns!”
More information on the project is available at https://www.spacehive.com/community-orchard-at-blossom-barns.
