A Community Orchard in South Teddington, Middlesex.
Teddington Orchard gains prestigious Community Award
Local community green space is one of the best in the country
A neighbourhood orchard maintained by volunteers in south Teddington has gained recognition as one of the best community-run green spaces in the country. By receiving the Green Flag Community Award, School House Lane Orchard has been recognised as a high-quality, well- managed and welcoming place, central to the local community.
As a result of the vision and hard work of a group of local residents, this once neglected green space has been transformed progressively over the past five years into a cherished community orchard, stocked with fruit and nut trees, herbs and native hedging. The most recent project undertaken by the Friends of School House Lane Orchard (FSHLO), which cares for the site, was installation of dead and live hedging in spring 2010. This year and next, the Friends are planning to create a wild-flower meadow.
FSHLO has received support from the start from Richmond Council’s Parks Department, which owns the Orchard; as well as South West London Environment Network (SWLEN) and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV). The Friends received a grant from Awards for All in 2006 and Thames Community Foundation in 2010.
Speaking at the Friends’ annual summer party, FSHLO chair Ian Jones-Healey said: “We are delighted to receive recognition from this national awards scheme for our much-loved Orchard. I would like to thank all our members for their hard work in getting us to this point and our colleagues in the Council, SWLEN and BTCV for their invaluable help along the way.”
School House Lane Orchard is the only - and we believe the first - site in the borough of Richmond upon Thames to hold the Community Award, according to the listings on the Green Flag Award website.
The Orchard is one of a record number of parks and green spaces receiving the Green Flag Community Award this year, ensuring that even more of us now have access to well-managed, high-quality green spaces.
In 2011, 1,288 parks and green spaces will fly either the Green Flag or Community Award, a sign that the value of green space is widely acknowledged as vital to our communities.
Phil Barton, Green Flag Plus Partnership chairman said: “I would like to congratulate this year’s winners, who have worked hard throughout the year to keep their parks and green spaces at a high standard and ensure they are pleasant and enjoyable spaces for the whole community.
“The Green Flag Award Scheme, and its growth, is essential in driving up the standards of our parks and green spaces. Access to quality green space is something we all desire and the scheme plays a key role in providing it.
“In these challenging financial times it is heartening that the number of Community Awards continue to grow. As the value of green space and the role it plays in our communities strengthens, we must ensure these high standards remain.”
All award-winning sites now have the chance to receive a further award from the Green Flag Plus Partnership, the People’s Choice Award. This award is voted for by the public, so if you want to see your local park receive a national accolade as the People’s Choice, then visit the Green Flag Award website at www.greenflagaward.org now to register your vote.
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About Us
The Friends of School House Lane Orchard were formed in 2006 to conserve and develop a community orchard in South Teddington for the benefit of local residents. At this time the orchard was clearly in need of care and attention.
Since then this beautiful community orchard has been restocked with fruit trees and is now a space for residents to sit and contemplate nature, to meet with friends and for children to play.
The group has also provided a useful single voice to comment on local issues, such as nearby planning developments, that could have an impact on the orchard.
Achievements
In May 2010 the Friends received a Grassroots Grant from the Thames Community Foundation. This was used to purchase new plants, shrubs and a pear tree. Also purchased were new tools, equipment and insurance.
A grant from Awards for All in 2006 allowed for substantial changes with the involvement of local residents. It allowed us to take control of the development of the site on a practical level and to improve substantially its appearance. The grant brought residents together to discuss specific spending plans and to take part in outings to purchase equipment and plants.
The Friends received a Certificate of Achievement at the Richmond Council for Voluntary Service (RCVS) Community Awards in June 2007 for outstanding services to volunteering in Richmond Borough.
The Friends were Nominated for a BTCV Green Hero Award in 2007.
We have planted a considerable number of trees, shrubs and plants. We have left unmown an area to encourage a wildflower meadow. A survey of flora was conducted by our botanist. We have provided seating and installed leaf mould and community composting facilities. In March 2010 with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) a dead hedge was planted along the Wick Road boundary and live hedging along the Bushy Park Road and railway boundary.
