Community orchards: Planting the seeds of connection

T'S National Tree Week, what better time to celebrate the brilliance of our local community orchards? Across Bristol and Avon, from Thornbury Orchard Group to the Patchwork Community Volunteers in Bedminster and the blossoming spaces of Totterdown these small but mighty habitats are proving that you don't need acres of land to make a meaningful difference. Sometimes all it takes is a corner plot or free spa, and the desire to grow something good.

- With Sophie Bancroft, Team Wilder Communications and Engagement Officer

Community orchards are far more than collections of fruit trees. They are social glue, wellbeing boosters, wildlife sanctuaries, outdoor classrooms and anchors of local identity and pride. They have the power to transform neglected or unloved spaces into (literally) blossoming neighbourhoods.

Standing strong together

Community orchards bring people together, whatever their offering is time, hard work planting and pruning, making wildlife habitats, researching trees or making tea. Whether you're joining a winter pruning day in Manor Woods Valley, sharing grafting techniques at Corston Community Orchard, or attending a wassail celebration, these spaces cultivate friendship as readily as they cultivate fruit.

In today's fast paced society, isolation can quietly take root. Having a shared patch of green to work on and care for offers a gentle antidote spaces where caring for nature helps restore connection and wellbeing.