My name is Swin and I volunteer at Scutchers Acres in Burscough, where I live. My main responsibility is taking care of the community orchard there.
Scutchers Acres community orchard supports local foodbanks
Apples at Scutchers Acres - credit Jenny Bennion
Scutchers Acres is a mixture of woodland, grassland and an amazing community orchard in Burscough, West Lancashire – and not only is it supporting nature but the orchard bounty is supporting the local community too. Volunteer Swin tells us more.
Swin harvesting apples at Scutchers Acres to be donated to local foodbanks - Jenny Bennion
The orchard was planted in 2011, so many of the trees are very well established and cropping well every year. There are over 70 trees in total. Most are varieties of dessert and cooking apples but there are also nine varieties of pear trees, 15 of plum and damson, two quince and a mulberry tree. The latter gave us berries for the first time this year. The crop was only small and further reduced by the birds (they can reach those high branches so much easier than we can) but the berries were delicious and maybe next year there will be more!
One of the apple trees at Scutchers Acres - Jenny Bennion
Some of the well-established trees can yield 30kg of fruit. Most trees were planted in pairs, meaning we can get a crop of 60kg fruit from just a couple of trees. In fact, when I came on board last year the harvest was huge and we were being overwhelmed, especially by plums, which were having a bumper year. As a community orchard we were keen to make sure the fruits of our harvest could be enjoyed by anyone who needed them.
Volunteers Bev, Dot & Ann, along with Swin, at the Burscough Food Bank ready to share donated apples from Scutchers Acres - Jenny Bennion
I took the time to contact every food bank in West Lancashire and various community cafés and similar groups. I found out who could take fresh produce, who could use cooking apples, and how much. We are now able to support food banks right across the region with fresh, local and seasonal fruit. Although, there were far fewer plums this time as most of the trees took this year off after working so hard last year!
The season always starts with cherry plums in early July, then the rest of the plums and damsons in August and September. Meanwhile we are regularly checking the apple trees for when the apples might be ready and harvesting those from September to winter. During which time the pears will become ripe too.
Along with supporting our local community, the orchard at Scutchers Acres is also planted in a wildflower meadow so working to support nature too. We spend winter digging up brambles and unwelcome trees that have self-seeded, most commonly Turkey oak but also willow. We leave any ash we find in the hopes it will be a lucky one that is resistant to the die-back disease that is devasting the ash population. Other species such as native oaks and alder are transplanted in the woodland parts of Scutchers Acres or another conservation site. All this means that come spring and summer the orchard is abuzz with pollinators helping to create another bumper crop of fruit which we can share with the community.
I can honestly say I have the best volunteer job in the county
Swin with one of crop od Scutchers Acres pears - Jenny Bennion
Scutchers Acres community orchard provides hundreds of kilograms of fresh, organic (although not officially certified we adhere to organic principles) fruit every year to people who need it. I have the pleasure of delivering the fruit and working with the food bank volunteers who are making a difference to people’s lives. It’s a good feeling and along with the physical and mental health benefits of working outdoors in a beautiful nature reserve, I can honestly say I have the best volunteer job in the county.
The Orchard at Scutchers Acres - Jenny Bennion
Could you leave a gift for nature?
Scutchers Acres is currently privately owned and the land managed by the wonderful landowner with support from Lancashire Wildlife Trust staff and volunteers. The area will be left to LWT as a legacy, allowing the amazing work here to continue. Find out more about how leaving a gift in your will, no matter how big or small, could make a difference to the future of the wildlife on your doorstep.