Community orchards and allotments

Treesponsibility and Calderdale Local Orchard Group (CLOG) are advising and supporting BEAT with this project. The Woodland Trust has donated trees to the project and the Big Tree Plant has agreed to pay for training courses for the community (grafting, tree maintenance, how to make produce out of the fruit, etc). The tree planting will started in 2012 - to create wind breaks. Fencing was put up - to protect the trees from deers, sheep, etc. Trees have also been planted for coppicing for heating

Why they need our service

Community orchards and allotments have many benefits:keep people active, mentally and physically, reduce food miles to food metres, create community cohesion, tree planting improves wildlife and reduces flooding in the valley.Several residents do not have land for food growing.Blackshaw Parish Council, Blackshaw Food Network and the gardening club support it.

Plan and expected results

Fruit will grow in the community orchards and vegetables will grow in the allotments. Around 1500 have been planted.The community will be working together to establish and maintain this project. Participants will be making new friends, learn new skills and be proud of what they produce.

Latest activities and projects

Nature conservation work

We have put up six bird boxes and five bat boxes. One of the bird boxes is put up at Colden J&I School with a colour camera inside so the bird life inside the bird box can be viewed on the internet. The other five bird boxes have been put up at Colden Clough. We have had speakers at our public meetings talking about birds and bats and recently arranged a bird watching walk with Matt Bell. 18 people participated in a two and a half hour walk and 11 of them had breakfast together after the walk. read more

Public meetings and newsletter

On 11th June 2013 we will hold a public debate on nuclear energy. The meeting will be held at 7.30PM at Hebden Bridge Town Hall. On 10th July we have Jonathan Atkinson from the Carbon Co-op (www.carbon.coop)speaking. Phil Knowles and Finn Jensen will also be talking about their experiences with solar panels. Phil will describe how ten households in Blackshaw Head got together to install thermal solar panels. The meeting will be held at 7.30pm at the Social and Bowling Club in Heptonstall. read more

Community wind turbine

We have set up a Community Benefit Society called Pennine Community Power (www.powerinthecommunity.org) to enable us to issue share to the community. We raised more money through the share offer than we needed. The 10kW Bergey wind turbine was grid connected on 30th October 2012 and had by April 2013 already produced over 15,000kWh. PCP has 65 shareholders - all living within a few miles of the wind turbine. read more

Greening the Chapel

In the two downstairs rooms we have insulated two walls and installed four double glazed windows. There is no cavity in the wall which makes insulation more expensive.We had an energy audit done of the Chapel and the audit recommended along with PV solar panels on the south facing roof. We have suggested to the Chapel that we raise money for a 9kW PV system. read more

Community orchards and allotments

Treesponsibility and Calderdale Local Orchard Group (CLOG) are advising and supporting BEAT with this project. The Woodland Trust has donated trees to the project and the Big Tree Plant has agreed to pay for training courses for the community (grafting, tree maintenance, how to make produce out of the fruit, etc). The tree planting will started in 2012 - to create wind breaks. Fencing was put up - to protect the trees from deers, sheep, etc. Trees have also been planted for coppicing for heating read more