The Fairfield Association created the Orchard in 1999-2000. It was one of 250 millennium greens created across the country to mark the beginning of the new millennium. This explains the rather long name. Our main funder (they gave us around £37,500 and helped us with advice and other support) was Millennium Greens. Millennium Greens was funded by the National Lottery and administered by The Countryside Agency.

Who else helped to create Fairfield Orchard?

Years 12 and 13 students from Lancaster Royal Grammar School also helped us, as part of their work towards their Duke of Edinburgh Award work, and we also had lots of help from the local Probation Service, who organised teams of young offenders to help us. The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) provided help and training through the Lancaster BTCV group, and Lancaster University’s BTCV group also came to help.

Who contributed the funding to create the Orchard?

The biggest contributor was Millennium Greens, but Lancaster City Council was also extremely generous. The Council kindly provided the land, which is leased to us for 999 years at £1 a year, and gave us financial support (through their ‘Million for the Millennium’ initiative). The leader of the Council at that time (Stanley Henig) was very supportive personally, helping us to negotiate the original proposal with Millennium Greens.

We also received funding from Bass Charrington, BTCV, Lancaster BTCV, the Royal Botanical & Horticultural Society of Manchester and the Northern Counties and the Ramblers Association, as well as personal donations from local people. The Fairfield Association itself gave significant funds towards the project.