Coronation Community Orchard Scheme
West Oxfordshire District Council is pleased to be distributing £50,000 of funding to support community orchard projects across the district, to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.
This funding has been secured by the council from the Coronation Living Heritage Fund.
The aim of the funding is to enable more trees to be planted in non-woodland locations and close to where people live, providing a visible and lasting tribute to the coronation within local communities.
Applications are open from 1 June 2024 for the 2024/25 planting season in which planting must be completed between September 2024 and March 2025.
Applications close on 31 July 2024.
Eligible groups that can apply include:
- Town and parish councils
- Schools
- Community groups
- Residents' associations
- Businesses
- Landowners with publicly accessible land
Your community orchard must be publicly accessible, or accessible to a significant number of people (as in the case of schools).
Community orchards can be any size larger than five trees. Fruit trees that are able to thrive in UK environments are eligible for purchase. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Apples
- Pears
- Quinces
- Greengages
- Plums
- Walnuts
- Cherries
West Oxfordshire District Council is able to fund capital items only that are required for planting the orchard. This can include:
- Trees and items needed to protect them
- Delivery costs
- Items needed to upkeep the trees in the short-term to help the establish and thrive
It is anticipated that the orchards will bring multiple benefits. Orchards provide a local source of healthy organic food for communities and schools and will help residents that are involved in their planting feel greater connection to their local green spaces.
Orchards are also important spaces for wildlife. They are essential foraging habitats for birds such as redwings and little owls, and a host of invertebrates including the rose chafer and red-headed cardinal beetle.
We recommend that you review our application guidance notes before applying. All applications should be submitted using the link below:
Submit applicationIf you have queries about your scheme, please email climate.action@westoxon.gov.uk and one of our team will respond.
Coronation Community Orchard Project - Guidance Notes and Application Questions - pdf - 294 Kb
Coronation Community Orchard Project - Cost Form - xlsx - 76 Kb