Jesmond Community Orchard marked its 15th year of running with its annual Apple Day last month.

The orchard, which was set up in 2009, was established to bring the community together as well as contribute to the saving of apple orchards across the country.

They put on regular events for the Jesmond community, one of which is their Apple Day every October. It focused on apple activities and was enjoyed by the Jesmond community.

Attendees could buy apples grown by volunteers in the orchard or taste juice pressed from these apples. Apple pies and young apple trees were also available to buy for anyone visiting the orchard.

Other volunteers set up long tables and presented a multitude of apple varieties for people to browse through. The volunteers at the orchard also helped people recognise the variety of apples they grew.

Jane, one of the attendees, said: “I really like the event; I think it is a nice chance for everyone to get together.”

The orchard was set up by a group of volunteers in a corner of St. Andrew’s cemetery. The space was previously used as an equipment storage for the council.

Gil O’Connell, one of the community’s founding members, said that during 2009 there were many orchards which were being closed down and they wanted to do something about it.

The Guardian has reported that there are now 80% fewer traditional orchards since 1900 in England and Wales. The newspaper also reported that apple orchards might disappear completely by the end of the century, according to conservationists.

Thanks to many volunteers across the country, apple orchards are alive and well, as reported by The Orchard Project. They have helped over 500 community orchards grow and went back this summer to confirm the trees are alive and thriving.

The National Trust has pledged to plant four million blossoming trees by 2030, with the goal of supporting nature.

Part of the reason the Jesmond orchard was set up was to create a place for the community to gather.

O’Connell said: “There was no room for families to go. The other end of Jesmond can go to the Dene, but we had nowhere to go.”

The orchard has since then been a place for the locals to meet up. It is run by volunteers from Jesmond, who care for the apple trees and grow their own varieties.

The orchard’s most famous apple is the Jesmond Dingle, which was grown by Margaret Joughin and recognised as a new variety by the Northern Fruit Group and the National Fruit Collection in Kent.

The orchard is also open to local pupils, who take part in a yearly grafting event, which creates new trees to plant. The pupils are able to learn about this process with the help of the orchard’s volunteers.

O’Connell said her favourite thing about the orchard is that “people use it”.

To learn more about Jesmond Community Orchard, visit its website.