As part of our planning permission to build another 21 almshouses, the Charity plans to enrich the landscape across the adjoining fields. This will involve laying out new allotments, planting trees – including a community orchard – shrubs, bulbs and other wild flowers over an area of approximately six acres.

Our plans have been supported with generous donations from two national bodies:

The Woodland Trust, with its ambition for everyone in the UK to plant a tree, has donated 30 saplings, a mix of rowan, wild berry and silver birch, sufficient to plant a tennis court sized copse.

Our second donation comes from the Tree Council whose aim is to bring “everyone together with a shared mission to care for trees and our planet’s future”. They have agreed to fund the development of a small orchard consisting of 23 local heritage varieties.

Keith Sugden, trustee of the Parochial Charities, said “This is about much more than just conservation. We very much want the whole community, young people in particular, to get involved in the scheme and we will be inviting the local school, children and parents to take part in the planting planned for National Tree Week, 28^th November – 6^th December“.