Balfron Community Orchard – Building Capacity in Community Orchards
Balfron Community Orchard is cared for by a committed group of local volunteers who manage the space to provide fresh, sustainable produce to the wider community. Alongside food growing, the project brings people together through inclusive events that celebrate nature, encourage biodiversity, and strengthen community connections.
With support from an FEL Small Grant, the group set out to deepen these connections, care for the environment, and ensure the long-term sustainability of the orchard. The funding helped deliver an Apple Day celebration, featuring apple pressing, climate and biodiversity activities, a baking competition, and fun for all ages. The event aimed to raise awareness about the orchard’s role in climate action, recruit new volunteers, and raise funds to support its ongoing upkeep.
The grant also enabled the group to take steps toward becoming a more formal organisation. Plans are now underway to develop a constitution, create an orchard care plan, and bring in expert support to guide future work. These actions will help secure the orchard’s future and increase its capacity to host more regular community activities.
This round of FEL Small Grants focused on supporting projects that build climate resilience and community action at a local level. Key priorities included:
- Raising awareness of climate change and its effects
- Building connections between local groups and organisations
- Supporting community-led climate solutions
- Amplifying community voices in climate advocacy
- Promoting a fair and sustainable future with a focus on climate justice
“As a group, we have had ongoing discussions about the changing weather patterns, particularly the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall, and how they are directly impacting the orchard. These conversations have helped raise awareness within the community about the effects of climate change on local agriculture, including the challenges posed by unpredictable weather. By sharing our experiences, we are encouraging others to think about how these changes might affect their own lives and the environment around them.”
“As part of our Apple Day event, we partnered with the local Community Apple Press organisation, working alongside them to bring the event to life. This collaboration not only introduced members from the Community Apple Press to those from our Balfron community orchard, but also helped to build friendships between local groups.”
One of the key highlights of the project has been the creation of a new public Facebook page, which allows the group to share updates, promote events, and involve more people in local climate and biodiversity work. The team also planted three new Scottish-grown apple trees, adding to the orchard’s sustainability and supporting the wider regional orchard economy. Plans are underway to introduce more plants that support pollinators and wildlife.
The project even caught the attention of the wider media, with features in the Stirling Observer and Daily Record highlighting the orchard’s role in climate action and community connection.
