Residents delighted with new fruit trees

Recipients of fruit trees planted by a community group said they were "absolutely delighted" with their saplings.

March Community Orchard group planted 18 trees at residential addresses in the Cambridgeshire town in February, as well as at March Library, Burrowmore Primary School and Wendreth Court care home.

The home's manager, Inga Bundziniece, said staff and residents were "really looking forward" to watching their Red Falstaff apple tree grow over the years, and, in time, enjoying its fruit.

Alanna Wilson, who founded the group, said the team "couldn't be happier to finally be putting spades in the ground" after their two-and-a-half-year campaign to establish an orchard in March.

She said the group had "remained determined" to plant trees, despite being unable to secure land for a larger orchard.

The group said excess fruit would be available to local people in two to three years' time, which could be picked directly from trees overhanging the footpath or taken from crates set out nearby.

The locations of the trees would be pinned on a virtual town map, they said, and updates shared on the Front Garden Fruit Project's Facebook page.

The trees were purchased from the East of England Apples & Orchards Project with grants from the Care Network Cambridgeshire charity and the Cole Charity Trust.

Volunteer Rachel Beeson said it was "good to know there are dedicated people working hard to make the world a nicer place" and that she hoped the trees would be a "legacy in our town".

The group said it wanted to plant more trees in February 2027 if it was able to secure more money.

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