Racehill Community Orchard needs volunteers on Sunday 18 October

Brighton Permaculture Trust^1,2,3,4 is looking for volunteers at Racehill Community Orchard in East Brighton on Sunday 18 October, from 11am to 3pm. Kirsty Sloman leads the session, which is general upkeep: looking after the fruit trees and keeping the site good for wildlife.

The orchard covers three acres overlooking Whitehawk and the sea. Over 200 fruit trees have been planted there, along with thousands of native hedgerow plants, so that local people can share the fruit in years to come. It opened in January 2013 after a consultation by the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership⁵, in which 88% of respondents said they wanted an orchard on the site. The land is leased from the council, and the council’s park rangers help with the work.

The trust says the site “is not a neat and tidy orchard”. Work changes with the seasons and can mean clearing brambles, mulching, scything, pruning or picking up litter.

Some of the plants sting, scratch or have sap that can burn skin in sunlight, so wear long trousers, long sleeves, long socks and boots that cover your ankles. Bring gardening gloves and your own food and drink. The water supply is off in winter, so you can’t refill bottles. There is a compost loo.

You need to register, and you can come for all or part of the day; say which when you sign up. The confirmation email gives a phone number for the day. If the weather is bad, text the leader in case the session is cancelled.

The orchard is reached by a path beside Racehill Allotments, from Swanborough Drive or Wilson Avenue. Parking is easier at the Wilson Avenue end. The trust usually has someone on site on Sundays from 11am to 3pm, and on some Tuesdays.

If you would rather press fruit, the trust has a juicing session at Stanmer on the same Sunday, from 9am to 2pm.