Whatever your age, planting trees is an experience you will never forget. Volunteers are welcome to join the group who meet every Tuesday from 9.30am-1pm for volunteer workday at the community farm on Mill Lane, CH66 3TH.

You will need to wear suitable outdoor clothes and footwear and bring a packed lunch and soft drink with you. All tools will be provided.

You will be helping pave the way for the planting of over 500 mixed fruit trees, including apples, pears, plums and cherries. They will grow over the next few years and give the community a great source of local delicious fruit!

Come and get involved – everyone is welcome. For more details or to sign up to volunteer contact our Farm Manager Ola Rug on 07825 840 595 or email her at orug@bridgecommunityfarms.co.uk

Thanks to apprentices at Greif UK’s HQ in Ellesmere Port, we now have a brand new community notice board. So if you want to know what is coming up at Mill Lane farm, you can find out there!

Greif has been a supporter of Bridge Community Farms from the very beginning. Last year the company’s charitable trust made a very generous donation of £36,000 to help us get started.

Francis Ball, Chairman of Bridge Community Farms said: “Greif’s ongoing support is invaluable and we are enormously grateful to them for continuing to offer their time and resources to get the farm up and running.”

The community notice board is located at the entrance to the farm site at Mill Lane so keep your eye on it for forthcoming events and other opportunities that you can get involved in.

Bridge Community Farms is pleased to have sponsorship from local company URENCO UK Ltd to help develop Mill Lane Farm.

With their help we are ploughing ahead to create permanent and sustainable jobs to people who are long-term unemployed, by growing and selling organic fruit, vegetables, salads and herbs.

We are currently looking for volunteers to help set up and develop the farms facilities, for more information and to get involved please contact Collette at 07847 824 910 or email volunteers@bridgecommunityfarms.co.uk

Bridge Community Farms will be launching in summer and we are looking for volunteers from the local community and businesses to join the team and help us over the coming months.

We are particularly keen to attract volunteers with skills to do the following:

• Help with basic horticultural activities such as planting trees and propagation
• Help to set up and run a market stall selling fruit and vegetables
• Support people with learning disability, physical disabilities and mental health problems using the farm as a therapeutic, educational and work experience environment.

If you are interested in joining us, please contact Collette on 07847 824 910 or e-mail us at volunteers@bridgecommunityfarms.co.uk

Last week we welcomed Councillors Justin Madders, Angela Claydon and Ben Powell to the Mill Lane site as the first foundations were laid. 

They official designated the site of a Community Green in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Mill Lane Community Green will be a space available for local residents to hold outdoor events that benefit the community.

Pictured above (L>R): Ola Rug (newly appointed Deputy Farm Manager), David Fletcher (Farm Manager), John Hickey (Localities Manager at local council), Cllr Angela Claydon, Cllr Ben Powell, Cllr Justin Madders, Joan Webber (local resident and Ellesmere Port Scrutiny), Francis Ball (MD of Bridge Community Farms)

Councillor Angela Claydon said: “I think the Community Green is a marvellous idea for our local community, which will give an extra space for people to hold outdoor community events such as concerts and fun days. We are looking now for a group of local residents to run the site and organise activities so if anyone is interested, please contact us and let us know.”

We have also laid the first foundations for raised beds, which will be planted with vegetables and herbs as part of therapeutic activity for local people with mental health problems, learning disabilities and physical disabilities. The beds are being built by Access 2 Training and Employment, a local community interest company that offers practical training to young people who might otherwise struggle to find work.

Councillor Justin Madders said: “It’s good to see such a different and new idea for the town and I’m very pleased that a piece of land that wasn’t really going to be put to any use has been rejuvenated. I think it’s something that’s going to be of real benefit for anyone that wants to get involved.”

Francis Ball, Director of Bridge Community Farms, said: “The site is really starting to take shape and we are excited about getting ready to open in the summer. We are particular pleased that we will be able to give over so much space to the Mill Lane Community Green and we are looking forward to hosting all sorts of events over the coming months.”

We are looking for people to volunteer with us - if you’d like to get involved please contact Collette on 07847 824 910 or email volunteers@bridgecommunityfarms.co.uk