Shalford Community orchard is on land owned by Guildford Borough Council (GBC) which forms part of Shalford Common. It is located in the heart of the village outside the Cemetery gates, opposite the Infant School and Queen Victoria Pub
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Discussions between Shalford, Chilworth and Peasmarsh Climate Action Group (SCPCAG) regarding additional tree planting on Shalford Common took place in late 2023 and a formal agreement was made in Autumn 2024 between GBC and SCPCAG which permits the Orchard volunteer group to operate on the site independent of direct supervision by GBC staff.
Shalford Community Orchard is an entirely volunteer led and run project. The objectives are:
• To create an orchard for the community, a place to enjoy and learn
• To enhance biodiversity
• To provide a source of free locally grown produce
• To run blossom and apple days and similar celebratory events
Plans got off to a marvellous start when Surrey County Council (SCC) offered to provide trees and planting equipment. We were also able to offer local residents an Orchard Skills training course and tree planting demonstration funded for us by Surrey Wildlife Trust.
Work in earnest started in December 2024 and the ongoing task now is to care for the trees by watering, weeding and pruning.
For the first 3 years watering is the major task. From April to September we aim to give each tree 20 litres of water each week. Thanks to Shalford Community Council we can take the water from the Cemetery Chapel tap and, to make it even easier, they have bought us a tank to store water closer to the trees. It takes a team of four people 1.5 to 2 hours to complete the weekly task.
In the longer term we hope that future generations will enjoy the beauty of the trees, especially at blossom time in the Spring, as well as eating fruit fresh from the trees later in the year. At the same time we will have provided a habitat for all kinds of wildlife.
Shalford Community Orchard has benefited from a huge amount of support. Our grateful thanks go to
• Guildford Borough Council for permission to use the site and for their ongoing support and advice
• Surrey County Council for giving us trees, equipment and assistance
• Shalford Peasmarsh and Chilworth Community Council for access to the chapel and the vital water supply
• Surrey Wildlife Trust for funding orchard training and a biodiversity study.
• Surrey County Councillor Matt Furniss for supporting our bid to Surrey’s Your Councillor Community Fund to purchase a noticeboard
• Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally (MADL) charity for their generous donation
• St Mary’s Church for hosting training and for planting day refreshments
• All the local residents who have generously donated to our fundraiser at localgIving.org
• All the volunteers without whose never ending help and enthusiasm we couldn’t do it
To get involved please contact us at shalfordcommunityorchard@gmail.com
If you can help our fundraiser please go to localgiving.org, click ‘donate’ enter Shalford in the search and Shalford Climate Action Group will appear.
Email us at shalfordcommunityorchard@gmail.com