Whether your ambitions are to conserve a community orchard or to get together with neighbours to start and manage one, this 'how to' guide is designed to help you by making the most of the space in your local area for this purpose.

A compendium of case studies has been produced to illustrate the great work that is going on in communities around community orchards and provide you with some inspiration.

An orchard is a collection of fruit and, sometimes, nut trees often planted among grass full of wild flowers. Just as traditional orchards were often the centre of village life and a cornerstone of the rural economy, community orchards are excellent places for people to come together to plant and cultivate local and unusual varieties of fruit trees and to use as the focal point for community activities such as Apple Day (www.england-in-particular.info/cg/appleday/), open air plays, picnics, story-telling  events or festivals or as a green haven in which to relax and wind-down.

Download 'Community Orchards: A How to Guide' and find out more. Or visit the Communities and Local Government website at www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/orchardshowto