After 8 years, at last a Club Shed for ECO
in Brownings Community Orchard
Founded in 2010, ECO Group has finally built a shed to call home. Big enough to keep all our bits and pieces, close enough to Alkerton Cross for easy exit to the other community orchards when the bits and pieces are needed. We are indebted to several benefactors, starting with Cottsway Housing for the 30-year lease on Brownings Orchard and the Parish Council for a grant to pay for that lease.
The shed itself was sponsored by the Charlie Bullock Fund and supported by a solid base paid for by Gloucestershire Environmental Trust (GET).
GET have been the main donor to Brownings Orchard, having paid for ground clearing, hedge thinning and the trees featured in ECN’s April edition.
Their grants have also paid for the gates, “welcome” sign and the robust entrance splay shown on the right (remember the mud last winter?!).
All-in-all, £4,000 worth of grants to kick-start the Brownings project.
Thank you GET!
What about that shed then?
After a frustrating winter and spring, Alan Loveridge was finally able to drive his gear onto the field to excavate and float a base for us (he also sorted the entrance splay above).
The shed came in kit form, which was not an impressive sight to start the day.
However, with two shifts totalling 12 volunteers, a steady start was made, with much discussion over the 24 pages of plans.
The job took us 5 hours in sweltering heat but the finishing crew were still smiling at the end.
There’s still plenty to do to improve Brownings Orchard, so please join ECO Group and enjoy some fresh air and exercise. Free!
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- Finally, for those of you entering your own fruit or fruity produce at the Autumn Flower and Veg show ( see p.12), Note that Tom is sponsoring a fruity new prize – The ECO Chairmans Shield – Let’s see an ECO member bringing it home!!
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