Vision's partner The Orchard Project become BBC Food and Farming Award finalists • Vision RCL

Vision’s partner The Orchard Project become BBC Food and Farming Award finalists


Vision’s Nature Conservation Ranger Team have been supported by partner The Orchard Project to help enrichen the community, work with local residents and volunteers to plant and maintain orchards in Claybury Park and other Redbridge parks.

We are excited to share that The Orchard Project recently landed a place as one of three finalists in the BBC Food and Farming Awards, hosted by the Food Programme on BBC Radio 4 for the work they’ve been doing alongside our Nature Conservation Ranger Team in Claybury Park. The Orchard Project’s scheme helps to preserve our orchards and heritage as well as reducing food waste. The BBC judge, Donald Sloan, visited Claybury Park to meet with Orchard Project’s, Kath Rosen and Elizabeth Pegler and Vision’s Senior Nature Conservation Ranger, Francis Castro and Nature Conservation Volunteer, Lesley Warner.

Francis Castro spoke about the work behind maintaining the orchard:

“The Orchard is looked after by the Nature Conservation team, and we have a group of volunteers who essentially help us to maintain this site.

Quite a lot of the apples are used by the wildlife of the park and some of the local residents will take a handful or a bag. With The Orchard Project we are harvesting the surplus here as well to produce apple juice and cider as part of their enterprise scheme which is really exciting; it’s just a really good relationship.”

Photo Credit: BBC