Partnership working

Wates Living Space NW Community Day - A fruitful partnership
On 17th September we worked with staff from Wates Living Space to contruct a path and fencing for the community orchard.  Each year Wates undertake projects in the community using their skills to work on projects which would otherwise not be affordable.

In our case Local Food funding enabled us to buy the materials to build a path and some fencing but it wasn't possible to budget for labour costs. 

During the day a number of staff from Wates, GBJ Environmental Systems and Trafford Housing Trust came and helped with the work.  If you take a look at the pictures you can see that this was a significant project and our thanks go to Jim Duffy and Brian Birch for agreeing to take on the challenge, to GBJ Environmental Systems contractor Con for his expertise with various plant hire in all weathers. Finally thanks also to Cliff from Wates who worked with Con on the job for 3 days, both of them working tirelessly in some terrible weather.  From OTAGS we had Pete working with the Wates staff constructing the fence, Debbie and Claire keeping people fed and watered with help from Laura who baked cakes. Claire's two children kept people entertained during the tea
breaks

The fence and the path are an important part of our plans for the orchard.  The path makes it easy for people to access the orchard and the fencing, with regular entrances inviting people in, will be planted with vertical cordon apple trees and other fruit.

Photos of the process can be viewed here

Thank you all.