Paget High School Community Orchard

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The range of fruit trees will be extensive and include apples (cookers and eaters), pears, plums, damsons, medlars, cherries, gages, quinces and a range of nuts. It is building upon an existing school farm. At its heart will be an area designed for lifelong learning called the Haven. These facilities will be unique in East Staffordshire.Discussions with local community organisations have resulted in a wide range of activities being identified including: learning about growing healthy local fruit, its use in culturally appropriate cooking, tai-chi especially for older residents, and for rest and relaxation purposes aimed at the wider community.

The orchard will at all times be open to the community as a green space in an urban environment in which local people can walk, sit, enjoy and eventually pick the fruit. When inclement weather prevents Haven events/activities from taking place the school has agreed to make an appropriate indoor space available.

Finally school students will pick and deliver fruit from the orchard to the 3 local community centres and the East Staffordshire Children's Centre who will organise occasions each year to distribute it to low income families.

Project Update

COMMUNITY ORCHARD GETS OFF TO FLYING START

The 400 tree Community Orchard planned for ground at Paget High School Business & Enterprise College has got off to a flying start this April.

Local residents backing onto the site will shortly receive information through their letter boxes to keep them up to date with developments.

A press release has been prepared and sent to the Burton Mail. The post of “Orchard Supervisor” has been agreed and advertisements have been placed on Staffordshire County Council website and in the Burton Mail newspaper. Interviews will take place at the school in May.

The order to create “the Haven” has been placed with Serfis, who intend to begin work in the next couple of weeks.

Discussions have taken place with “Student Voice”, the school’s elected pupil council and it has been agreed that all pupils will have the opportunity to plant a tree in the “big planting event” in November. A plan of who planted each tree will be kept and placed on a noticeboard on the site so that future generations can see who planted each tree.

Patrick Connolly (School Bursar) and Mike Badcock (Vice Chair of Governors) welcomed Chris Firth (Local Food Regional Coordinator) to the school on the 27th April and visited Cole’s Nursery, the nursery who will supply the trees, on the 28th April.

The first steering group meeting is planned for 29th June and invitations to serve are going to partners at the present time.

All in all a busy but interesting month.