The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation is excited to launch our first-ever orchard projects in the United Kingdom! FTPF will be working with British tree-planting groups to plant orchards in underserved neighborhoods, schools, and other publicly-accessible locations in England (with the hope to expand to the rest of the UK in the future). We will be focusing on urban orchards, turning under-used spaces into vibrant oases of greenery, community, activity, and, of course, fresh and nutritious fruit!
Urban areas throughout England often face high levels of food insecurity, malnutrition, income inequality, and racial and environmental injustice. Our selected orchard sites will directly address each of these issues by bringing the nutritional, economic, social, cultural, and environmental benefits of fruit trees and community orchards directly into particularly vulnerable urban areas.
FTPF will work with passionate and skilled local nonprofits that share our belief in the power of orchards to serve and feed local communities. We will begin our work in the South of England, focusing on low-income and underserved communities in the cities of London and Brighton. Each orchard will include region-appropriate and vigorous trees best suited for each community. We will help oversee plantings with our partners, as well as training of community members in orchard care and maintenance
Communities that come together to create a shared neighborhood green space, in which health, community, and joy are celebrated, reap benefits that can last a lifetime (or more)! The long-term impacts of urban orchards include: free, organic, local, and seasonal produce that is often not available or affordable in low-income areas; environmental benefits like improved air, shade and biodiversity; educational opportunities for adults and children alike; neighborhood beautification and pride.
