Veolia Orchard is branching out to new schools in Southend

September 27, 2024

Applications are now open for free fruit trees and strawberry plants for schools in Leigh-on-sea and Southend. This scheme invites schools to increase biodiversity and become a part of Veolia’s family tree by growing their own strawberries or nurturing their own orchard of fruit trees.

Since 2022, Veolia Southend has delivered 90 fruit trees and 50 strawberry plants to 23 schools across the city. This local network is just a small part of a whole family of 1,085 trees and 780 strawberry plants steadily growing at 291 schools across the UK.

This initiative launched in 2022, with fruit trees donated to schools in order to give young people a chance to experience the benefits of engaging with nature as well as improving local biodiversity. Building on its initial success, in 2023 the scheme expanded to include strawberry plants, ensuring that urban schools with limited outdoor green space could participate.

Each orchard comprises either five trees or ten strawberry plants per school, an individual component of a much wider network. Schools can apply online from 9 September to 8 November 2024. Successful candidates will then hear back from 25 November with deliveries taking place in spring 2025. Schools can opt for an interactive planting event where Veolia’s experts guide students through their planting whilst educating them on the orchard’s long-term benefits to the community and environment.

More information can be found at https://www.veolia.co.uk/veolia-orchard