Published: Monday, 12th March 2018

Children helped create an orchard with 50 fruit trees for their whole community to enjoy.

Pupils from Foxfield Primary School in Plumstead have been helping plant trees for the new Glyndon Community Orchard.

Funding from the council and Mayor of London

The Glyndon Community Orchard, which cost £7,500 to plant out, was part funded by the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Mayor's Greener City Fund.

The Council successfully secured £30,000 from the fund, introduced by London Mayor Sadiq Khan to promote tree planting. Other projects to benefit include the planting of 131 trees in Avery Hill Park, 48 trees on the Abbey Wood Estate, and 20 along a main avenue in Hornfair Park.

The orchard, in the heart of the Glyndon Estate, features 30 apple trees which are a mix of three popular varieties - Cox, Egrement Russet and Scrumptious. There are also 20 plum trees including Victoria, Jubilee and Opal varieties of the fruit.

The Council's park staff are working with children from the school to create a sign for the new community facility.

'Scrumptious addition to the Glyndon Estate'

Councillor Jackie Smith, Cabinet Member Community Safety and Environment, said: "This is a wonderful and potentially scrumptious addition to the Glyndon Estate which everyone can benefit from.

"Orchards provide a very special place in the urban environment which people can enjoy by getting involved in the trees cultivation or as pleasant places to visit. Trees enhance green spaces and also help to improve the air quality across the borough."

'Improving the local area for our children'

Rupinder Bansil, Executive Headteacher at Foxfield Primary School, said: "Our school community will really benefit from this project and there are endless possibilities to include this into the children's learning, as well as it improving the local area for our children. We look forward to watching the trees grow and eventually benefit from the fruit that they will produce."

Further improvements to the Glyndon Community Orchard include the installation of fencing and picnic benches in addition to general and dog bins.