County Council Countryside Service offers green space funds

The Coronation Living Heritage Fund, from Worcestershire County Council's Countryside Service, offers advice, trees, guards, and other materials.

Worcestershire's community orchard history goes back 30 years, with over 25 community orchards currently at sites across Chaddesley Corbett, Tenbury Wells, Headless Cross, Ombersley, and Pershore.

The scheme encourages community participation and hopes to involve volunteers, Tree Wardens, schools, and local groups.

Sites wishing to apply can be public or private land, but must demonstrate a level of community engagement and access.

The funding will be used by the County Council to supply communities with the trees and materials, and local people will then be encouraged to come and join in on the planting and tend to the orchard on an ongoing basis.

In addition to orchards, funding is available for small-scale, space-efficient mini-forests.

Also known as Miyawaki forests, they provide intensive tree planting and are well suited to locations where space is at a premium.

More information about Miyawaki forests is available on YouTube, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VizWfEIW1U.

Councillor Emma Stokes, cabinet member for the environment at Worcestershire County Council, said: "Growing fruit locally can help bring people together.

Fruit growing in a community orchard (Image: Supplied)

"This funding can be used to both grow and celebrate the county’s rich orchard heritage and improve local areas for people, recreation and wildlife.

"This funding provides a great opportunity to put our orchard heritage at the heart of our local communities here in Worcestershire, and get people growing fresh fruit in their neighbourhood, or to boost local biodiversity by planting a mini forest."

All projects must be completed by Easter 2025.

More information on how to access funding is available at communitygreenspace@worcestershire.gov.uk.