Newquay Community Orchard
From Neglect to Greenspace
Newquay Community Orchard began as a response to a particular place – a patch of neglected land in the heart of the town. Following six months of consultation with residents, community groups, schools, health centres and local businesses, the Orchard was born as a vision for a five-acre community space. The consultation process itself set the tone: the project was not imposed but emerged from listening to what the community needed.
A crowdfunding campaign was launched and raised over double the £30,000 target. Volunteers from the town contributed over 20,000 hours to developing the seven-acre site. The development was financed in part by the Duchy of Cornwall, which gifted three acres of land at neighbouring Quintrell Downs to create 30 community allotments as part of the broader Nansledan development.
The Space Today
The Orchard now comprises 3 acres of young Cornish apple orchard made up of 120 apple trees, a 1.5-acre Victorian-style kitchen garden for growing fruit and vegetables, a bustling meadow which is home to over 50 different species of grasses and wildflowers, two native woodland areas, a forest garden with fruit espaliers, and an ‘An Lowarth’ community grow space for vegetable cultivation. The site includes a community building with office space, function space, a classroom, drop-in facilities, support services and a community café called Heart and Soul, plus public toilets, outdoor and indoor classrooms, performance spaces, workshops and makerspace.
The Orchard is open to everyone, any time – free access for all. It has become a sanctuary for people seeking a connection with nature, environmental education, community events, or simply a space for peace and quiet.
Mission & Impact
Newquay Community Orchard is run by community interest company (CIC) Urban Biodiversity. The aim is simple: to create the best community green space in the UK. They work with local communities to create high-quality, low-impact, environmental urban spaces as a platform for sustainable economic growth and wellbeing.
The Orchard provides mental health therapy and employment skills training, meeting two of the biggest needs in the area. They offer inclusive volunteering opportunities for people who have a disability, experience social isolation or are unemployed. They deliver contracts like Food for Change, which teaches unemployed people about growing, cooking and trading food, and the Practical Outdoor Internship, which trains people in sustainable landscaping and outdoor skills. They also provide learning opportunities for all ages in permaculture, sustainability, organic growing and ecology.
Power to Change Investment
In recognition of its impact, Power to Change awarded Newquay Community Orchard a £252,000 grant through the Community Business Fund to construct the community building. This investment will significantly increase the team’s capacity, enabling them to increase their service delivery days from 3 days a week to 7 days a week, and provide a range of educational and outdoor activities for local schools.
Biodiversity & Celebration
The site supports a diverse range of wildlife – from solitary bees to the stunning resident kestrel who visits every week. It hosts a range of events and activities throughout the year that celebrate the seasons and the produce. More than 600 volunteers from the town contributed to building the space. What was once a neglected patch has become a centre for culture, education and collaboration – proof that even a small plot of land, when tended collectively, can change a town.
Why This Matters
Newquay Community Orchard shows that urban greenspace is not a luxury amenity but essential infrastructure for health, education, and belonging. It demonstrates that people will volunteer in significant numbers if they have genuine ownership of the outcome. It proves that a community orchard – an old form – can be renewed as a contemporary tool for addressing employment gaps, mental health crises, social isolation and food insecurity all at once. Most importantly, it offers an alternative to the logic of development: instead of paving over land and building consumable goods, it invites people to slow down, grow food together, and tend what makes life worth living.