Completing our Rural Hub for Climate and Community

Aim

8 years of building, and we're almost there! Your donation helps finish our Environmental Education Centre providing training for volunteers

Here at Orchard Barn, our dream is almost a reality, and we need your help to bring it to life. The reinstated Long House – our new Environmental Education building, originally built in 1580, is nearing completion. Over the years, it fell into neglect, and by the 1960s, it had collapsed. When we first took on this project, the ancient timber frame was buried in brambles, with only the old inglenook and some Tudor bricks still standing. Remarkably, even an ash tree had grown inside the building.

Here's what we achieved last year ...

Living Our Values: People Care, Earth Care, Fair Shares

At Orchard Barn, managed by OBee Community Interest Company (CIC), we don’t just talk about sustainability — we live it. Since we began in 2007, our work has been rooted in the ethics of Permaculture, and over the past 18 years we’ve grown a hands-on, community-led project that demonstrates how people can come together to address the climate crisis and restore balance in the way we live, learn, and build.

These three core principles guide everything we do:
• People Care – nurturing community, well-being, and shared learning
• Earth Care – respecting nature, restoring ecosystems, and working with the land
 • Fair Shares – ensuring that resources, skills, and opportunities are accessible to all

🤝 Community-Driven Climate Action

We believe resilient communities are key to tackling climate change, and our work is focused on empowering people with the skills, space, and connection to do just that.

Watch our YouTube video about making an Earth Floor last summer (video made by Daisy - an Architecture student who helped with the floor!)

🛠️ Building Skills for a Low-Carbon Future

• Training volunteers in natural building methods, including timber framing, clay plastering, and lime rendering
• Free practical workshops in permaculture – composting, growing food, preserving harvests, and restoring soil health
• Preserving and reviving heritage crafts and rural skills that can be passed on across generations

We work with volunteers from near and far, older/younger, mixed abilities/ethnicities. All have received FREE training in practical skills whilst helping progress the building and site.

🌱 Growing Together – Naturally

• Creating a shared growing space using no-dig methods, companion planting, and rainwater harvesting
• Building soil fertility, biodiversity, and food resilience in our local community
• Promoting shared harvests and community meals – celebrating the abundance that comes when we work together

🌞 Celebrating the Seasons

• Honouring the Wheel of the Year, connecting people to the rhythms of nature
• Hosting seasonal gatherings and reflective time in our Peace Garden and orchard to deepen our relationship with the land

🌿 Environmental Values in Practice

Every part of the Long House restoration and site development reflects deep environmental responsibility. We use natural materials, low-tech processes, and renewable resources, supporting the land rather than exploiting it.

♻️ Natural Building and Restoration

• Restoring a 1580 Long House TOGETHER  and BY HAND! 
• Traditional timber framing using authentic carpentry tools and methodology
• Using locally sourced timber, clay, straw, and lime – all biodegradable and carbon-efficient
• Rebuilding on the original footprint to reduce land disturbance and retain ecological integrity

🌡️ Passive Design and Energy Efficiency

• Masonry stove and underfloor heating (in an Earth floor) powered by wood fuel and thermal mass, minimizing fossil fuel use
• Walls insulated with Light Straw Clay to retain warmth in winter and coolness in summer
• Breathable, healthy indoor air quality through natural renders and finishes

🦔 Biodiversity and Land Stewardship

• Planting and coppicing to support wildlife habitat and woodland health
• Creating deadwood screens from orchard brash to shelter birds, hedgehogs, and insects
• Encouraging pollinators and natural cycles through seasonal gardening and minimal intervention

🌾 Carbon Conscious Construction

• Avoiding high-carbon materials like cement and plastic wherever possible
• Using plant-based materials that store carbon, improve soil health, and return to the earth at end of life
• Designing with longevity, repairability, and reuse in mind

💚 A Legacy of Regeneration

At Orchard Barn, we are not just rebuilding an ancient barn — we’re building hope, skills, and belonging. Together with our volunteers and supporters, we are co-creating a space where climate action, cultural heritage, and community care come together in harmony.

🌿 People Care – every person welcomed, supported, and valued
🌳 Earth Care – healing land, restoring balance, working with nature
 🍎 Fair Shares – offering open access to skills, food, and celebration

Please be a part of this incredible journey—help us complete the Long House and create a lasting legacy for community and the environment! 🌱🏡💚

Join us. Whether you volunteer, donate, or simply share our story — you’re helping us build a better, fairer, and more beautiful world.

This photo shows the inside of the building we have reinstated. THIS  is our Environmental Education space, but as you can see - it needs finishing!

We’re thrilled to share this heartfelt feedback from one of our recent participants. It truly captures the spirit of what we're all about—learning, community, and heritage preservation. Here's what volunteer Hannah Simons, President of The Bartlett Society, UCL had to say about her experience:

"What an amazing opportunity! It has taken us out of architecture school and into the earth. I hope we can continue to learn and help so this long house can stand for another 400 years."

Your donation will help us train more volunteers, preserve traditional skills, and complete this incredible project. Every contribution makes a difference—be part of the journey! AND REMEMBER THAT AVIVA WILL MATCH YOUR DONATION (up to £250 per person).

🙌 Last year, we trained and worked alongside 118 amazing volunteers — learning, building, and growing together.

🌱 With your support, we can welcome even more people this year and complete our beautiful, hand-made, natural Long House — a space crafted with care, community, and climate in mind.

🏡 OBee CIC can’t wait to open the doors for environmental education, practical workshops, and seasonal community gatherings.

💚 Be part of this thriving, climate-conscious future — donate, volunteer, or spread the word today!

This project successfully funded on 31st October 2025