Fruit Factor
A fruit tree for every child born
Why We Think Fruit Factor is Needed
Fruit for the Future
The current Youth Factor committee believe in protecting their environment, protecting wildlife and see community land ownership as a way to preserve and promote their heritage to develop new enterprises.
New enterprises derived from the growth of the Carbon Economy aim to replace local enterprise lost from the demise of the traditional coal industry and local services.
The youth factors' aim is to find a use for the many derelict premises locally, providing a use for residents, local school and leisure groups.
Refurbishment and regeneration also allows our young people to extend their hospitality opportunities by welcoming the many visitors attracted to the growing number of informal recreational activities that surround them.
Visitors who often come first to pay their respects, are surprised by the natural beauty that surrounds them. Very soon those visitors will be able to take home their very own fruit tree to grow and cherish.
We have the trees! Next step, planting!
The Community Orchard will start with the permanent planting of 144 baby apple trees. Planted to provide Fruit for our Future generations. Currently the majority are in our nursery and the rest are being fostered by local families. Planting is set to begin in March 2021!
What's it all about?
The orchard will ensure all children have access to free fruit provided from trees planted in their name.
Each year the Orchard Enterprise (established to provide training and employment opportunities for young people to learn horticultural and marketing skills), will plant a batch of new trees until all children born between 2004 - 2020 have their own fruit tree.
This summer 30 young people and their families became foster parents of our first trees. The trees, provided in pots until they can be planted in the main orchard site later in the year, aimed to keep our young gardeners interested when holiday activities had to be cancelled.
The orchard, as well as providing a wide selection of fruit and vegetables grown in our community gardens, will continue to expand. The aim is to improve well-being and community engagement by providing residents with a source of fresh foods. The expansion epitomises the creativity, imagination and aspirations of our young founders.
Our Motive:
A Mark of Respect
The 144 trees are a mark of respect from our current young people to acknowledge the 116 children and 28 adults from Pantglas Junior School, lost on the 21st of October 1966.
116 of the Apple trees will represent the children who never came home that morning. Surrounded by 28 hardier trees, the stronger trees, planted to protect and nurture the fruit trees, represent the teachers and adults lost that day.
A fitting tribute to remember many staff lost that day were found wrapped around the little ones.
Lest we forget
Secret Market Garden
Our members' vision is to make a secret garden somewhere in the ward. This was originally planned for Capel Aberfan, which was burned in 2015 as it was unsafe and there were no plans to fix it. The council have now decided to knock it down themselves and plan to demolish the entire building. This means we are looking at our options for location at the moment and we welcome any suggestions.
The secret garden will include a market garden facility providing a much needed source of home grown produce as well as a space to meet and sell local arts, crafts and home baked goods. Not to mention pumpkins for Halloween!
The garden will grow produce, as well as ornamental plants such as exotic flowers, and the market will sell this produce alongside produce from our other community gardens, as well as fruit, jams, and so on from our Fruit Factor Orchard.
Veg Boxes and Gifts
Flowers for Santos Dwynwyn, Valentine & St David’s Day. Wonky veg for those in need. The secret garden will be a community asset. It's a non profit, so all the money it makes will be spent on the community.
Not only will profits be spent on other projects, they will also be used to help us meet our goal of ensuring everybody has equal access to fresh fruit and veg.