Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust has held an apple harvest day as part of their gardening initiatives to promote active lifestyles and more sustainable living. The event involved volunteers picking apples from the orchard at Guild Lodge’s NHS Forest site and distributing them to the Step Down Unit. Volunteers included staff, local residents, partner groups and campers from a nearby site. An apple juicer was provided by the Abundance Project so pickers were able to taste the produce too.
Elizabeth Harrison, lead for the Grow Your Own project, said:
“We are thrilled with the outcome of the recent event. Part of the project’s aim is to introduce a more sustainable way of living and utilising the local environment. Using produce we have grown onsite not only reduces our carbon footprint but encourages teamwork as well as reducing costs for the trust.
“I would like to thank everyone who attended the harvest, and we hope to be able to build on the success of the event and continually develop to create a healthier way of living for the future.”
Chris Taylor, Community Food Growing Project Officer from Lancashire Wildlife Trust, said:
“The Grow Your Own Project is a great resource for the trust and we are pleased to be working alongside the team. The purpose of the Abundance Project is to gather volunteers to collect fruit that may usually be unpicked and thus be wasted. The size of the orchard at Guild Park is notable and so by becoming involved in the project we can help utilise as much of the produce as possible.”