Aims and objectives:
1. Encourage residents to use up excess fruit;
2. Educating residents and community groups on how to juice and preserve fruits;
3. Arrange community juicing events within participating Parish (or Ward), to encourage community engagement and well-being;
4. Supporting the use and development of community orchard spaces and groups.
How: The funding will help to purchase Pasteurisers, which can be used to extend the life of apple juice, as well as pasteurise jams. COPSE will engage with Community Groups and residents within participating Parish (or Ward) conducting a juicing event within an orchard space, with the juice pasteurised in situ or nearby (depending upon electricity supply), for residents to take home for their own consumption or other suitable local community benefit initiatives, such as community fridges, food banks etc. The pasteurising equipment will only be used by COPSE or Community Orchard Groups for not-for-profit juicing events
Who: COPSE will engage with Parish (or Ward) residents, with a focus on School, Allotment and other local Community Groups that show interest in the project
Where: COPSE will try to use Community Orchard Spaces where possible within the Parish (or Ward), but where necessary will also engage with Schools and other groups to determine other potential locations to conduct juicing events
When: The pasteurising equipment will be purchased in spring 2025. Engagement of Community Groups within a Parish (or Ward) will take place during summer 2025, with juicing events organised from mid-late summer (for jamming) to autumn (for apple juicing)
Costing: A pasteuriser and kit costs approximately £400. Match funding will be provided for community engagement, organising and staging juicing events through specific funds and grants local to a given Parish or through Crowdfunder.
Past projects: COPSE has been juicing on Community Orchard-spaces for over four years, with unpasteurised juice only lasting a few days. A pasteuriser will allow COPSE to produce juice and jams that will last for many months, rather than a few days.