A community in Bradford is encouraging people to bring their leftover apples so it can juice them and cut down on waste.
Wibsey Community Gardens has been donated a juicer by Fruit Works, a social enterprise helping people to plant and maintain fruit trees in Bradford and Leeds.
The charity gardens already produce fresh fruit, vegetables and honey to sell from their shop and at events.
“So this time of year there’s loads of fruit that goes to waste and that’s at the same time as lots of people can’t afford fruit,” Alan Thornton, director of Fruit Works, said.
“Most people aren’t eating enough fruit and we import lots of fruit into this country, so we’re wanting to divert some of that waste to be eaten, or if it can’t be eaten, to be juiced.”
The juicer will be shared across four community hubs in the district, at Wibsey Community Gardens, Woodville Community in Keighley, Inn Churches Storehouse in central Bradford and Kirkgate Community Centre in Shipley.
Mr Thornton, 52, said: “We’ve equipped them with some some great quality, juicing equipment and given them the training and how to use the equipment.
“They’re just starting today to get more confident and produce tonnes and tonnes of apples here in Bradford.”
The juicer can also be hired out for £30 a day, so a group of friends can produce fresh juice with their leftover fruit.
Jen White, who runs Wibsey Community Gardens, urged people with surplus apples to “come and share them” [BBC]
Jen White, 59, who manages the gardens, said: “We’re an environmental charity and our aim is to provide a place for people to enjoy gardening.
“We also produce really nice fresh fruit, veg, salad and herbs – and we keep bees and we produce honey. Well, they produce it for us!”
She said the juicer would allow them to organise community days “where we bring people in and we say bring your apples, come and share them”.
“We’ll juice together and then people can take jars of juice home with them,” she added.
The juice will be sold from the garden’s shop and at events [BBC]
Gardens volunteer Ruth Richardson, 79, said: “I like being involved and, without sounding big-headed, being able to give something back to the community that I live in.
“I love the idea of growing and the fact that it’s organic.
“You know you can pick a lettuce leaf and eat it, or an apple off a tree, and there’s not anything bad in it.
“I think there’s something about plants growing that gives you a feeling that life doesn’t just stop here.
“Things are growing, so there’s a continuity that I really enjoy.”
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