Davyhulme community orchard takes shape

Children from two Davyhulme schools have shown they have spade-loads of community spirit – by planting a new community orchard at Broadway Park.

They were joined by representatives from the Friends of Broadway Park, United Utilities and its engineering partner Laing O’Rourke, plus the environmental charities Groundwork and City of Trees.

The hard-working youngsters planted 15 new fruit trees including varieties of apple, damson, plum and pear. It marks the start of an exciting new chapter for the Friends of Broadway Park whose volunteers will also be getting expert tuition on pruning and nurturing the young trees so that the orchard can be enjoyed by future generations.

Angela Kirk, Chair of the Friends of Broadway Park, said: “TheFriends of Broadway Park would like to thank everyone who has worked so hard to get the park and orchard looking brilliant. Special thanks go to United Utilities, Groundwork and City of Trees. We’d also like to thank St Mary’s playgroup, St Mary’s School and Manor Academy for all their help. They did a fantastic job.”

The orchard area will be sectioned off from the park with some new hedge-planting and there are future plans to include a decorative sculpture.

Beth Kelsall, City of Trees, said: “It was great working in partnership to help establish a fruitful forest for the future. These trees will not only provide harvests for generations to come but contribute to our goal of planting three million trees – one for every man, woman and child in Greater Manchester.”

The orchard is the latest community investment in Urmston as part of United Utilities’ £200 million project to refurbish and improve its Davyhulme wastewater treatment works.

United Utilities’ community investment fund, United Futures, run in partnership with community charity, Groundwork, has awarded £48,000 to seven community projects located close to the Davyhulme works - one of the biggest in the UK.

The seven community projects receiving investment are:

• Broadway Park – to create a community orchard.
• Golden Hill Park - for a mass bulb planting to brighten up the park.
• Christ Church Community Garden - to extend the garden, create a bog garden, more seating and improve its habitats, including a bug hotel.
• Cheeky Cherubs community learning centre - to create a multi-functional community room.
• Mossfield Allotments - to bring its pond back to its former glory.
• Davyhulme Park - to create a new sculpture.
• A Groundwork training and assistance programme for community groups in Davyhulme.

Keith Haslett, from United Utilities, said: “We want to be a good neighbour and believe it’s important to play an active part in the communities where we operate, and where our customers and employees live and work, as they’re vital to our business."