A Community Orchard has been created on a Southampton allotment for the people of Mansbridge and will be launched at an opening event on Friday 2 June 2023.
Funded through Abri’s Community Fund, work started on the Orchard in January 2021, in partnership with Green Earth Plan, an organisation that aims to share and promote green living, building communities and sharing sustainable living practices. A “Community Allotment” is already present on the site, so adding an orchard to the location is expected to increase the benefits of the space and provide locals with another exciting reason to visit the allotment.
The Community Orchard aims to reduce littering and fly-tipping and help those experiencing social isolation. It will provide a new and different place for the community to come together, encouraging interaction across generations and instilling a sense of pride in the space.
Twenty volunteers were engaged in three separate community days to create the Community Orchard. The orchard now comprises five new fruit trees, fruit and veg planters, shrub and herb planters, a social-seating installation, bug hotels and bird boxes. It also has a brand-new allotment path to improve access and benefit all allotment holders, not just for those heading to the Community Orchard.
Extra help on the project was kindly given by volunteers from Eastleigh Men’s Shed, a workshop and social centre for older men living in and around the borough. Their collective woodworking experience proved invaluable, going on to build both a “mud kitchen” for children’s play and a lockable box to hold basic gardening equipment for orchard maintenance. Southampton Airport also donated a Rotary Tiller to clear the site, which will be used for future green community projects.
The new space will not only have a positive impact on the people of Mansbridge; the biodiversity of the allotment will improve too, with wildflowers allowed to grow and wildlife expected to find a permanent home and actively encouraged.
The Community Orchard is open to all in the local community to visit and use. To celebrate its opening and thank those involved, a launch event will be held on Friday 2 June 2023 (10am-12pm). Find the allotment and Community Orchard by going through the archway next to 73 Monks Way, SO18 2LR or by 21 Claude Asby Close, SO18 2LT. Alternatively, What Three Words users can find the site at ///maybe.values.both. The event takes place during half-term and is aimed at families but anyone is welcome to join.
Abri’s Community Development Officer, Cara Headon explains: “This is a great example of Abri’s dedication to creating thriving communities and empowering lives. I’m so excited to launch the brand-new orchard in Mansbridge, it will support the local community and restore pride in a once forgotten space, I look forward to seeing as many people there as possible for our launch event on 2 June."
Abri is looking for volunteers to help maintain the site through watering, weeding and planting. If interested, please sign up at the launch event in person, or email Abri’s Community Development Officer, Cara Headon.