COMMUNITY orchards are springing up everywhere.

Moves to get local communities involved in creating orchards on spare ground are being backed by school pupils.

So far 11 schools in the Kirklees area have been involved in planting fruit trees in their school grounds.

And as the planting season is in full swing, organisers are hoping more schools and communities will get involved.

Led by Julian Faulkner, Forestry Officer with the Kirklees Countryside Unit, the Community Orchard project is intended to make good use of vacant land and to get people interested in growing and harvesting their own fruit.

He said: “It hasn’t been easy identifying suitable sites, although I have done some planting on allotments and recreation grounds.

“But school sites lend themselves to this initiative because not only do they have available ground, but the project is educational for the pupils.

“They’ve been helping me plant the trees and they will look after them and reap the fruit they bear.”

So far the schools that have got involved are Lindley Juniors, Batley Business and Enterprise College, Clough Head Juniors and Infants in Slaithwaite, Pentland Infants in Dewsbury, St Patrick’s at Birkby, Honley Juniors, Netherton Infant and Nursery, Flockton First School, Scholes Junior and Infants, Upperthong Juniors and Infants and Kirkburton Middle School.

The new orchards are fairly small with between five and 12 trees planted ranging from apple, pear, plums and cherry trees.