That’s a wrap!
2025 marked our tenth anniversary year as a community organisation, and what a year it’s been for everyone involved. In fact, we recently released our annual report, detailing our impact in the community over the last year, as well as a look back over the last ten. As the year draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the highlights…
Ten years of Newquay Orchard
This year marked our tenth birthday, and fittingly, we celebrated it with cake and a present! At our 10-year Community BBQ in June, we unveiled a mural made up of individual tiles crafted with and for our community. We carried on the theme at our Summer Fayre in July, with tributes paid by the Town Crier and by Drew Creek, Mayor of Newquay. Finally, in December, BBC Radio Cornwall’s Julie Skentelbery came to join in the celebrations, speaking on air to a whole range of Orchard folk.
Growing food, Growing Futures
In 2024-25 alone, we harvested 8 tonnes of produce with and for our community, making up over 4,000 veg bags, and 7,300 free meals for volunteers and learners, as well as feeding 18,543 guests in Heart & Soul Café!
Our Growing Futures students, interns and work experience group played a huge part in this, as our organisation was recognised with the inaugural Great Cornish Food Awards’ Growing People prize for our work in creating opportunities for young people in the local food industry.
Students and volunteers were also surprised with a visit from HRH King Charles III himself, alongside PM Sir Keir Starmer and former Deputy PM Angela Rayner, as they stopped by on their joint visit to the 540-acre building development of Nansledan. You might have noticed on the recent BBC documentary about the Monarchy some highlights of their visit.
We were then honoured that our site should play host in May to Empowering Newquay’s Future, an innovative and inspiring event showcasing all the career pathways on offer to the 800 young people in our community who came to enjoy it.
Learning & wellbeing pathways for adults
This year saw the opening of our brand-new NHS Hub, built with Shared Prosperity Funding, positioning Newquay Orchard as the base for NHS-funded Community Health & Wellbeing Workers in our area, plus the colocation of social prescribers and health coaches directly on site – a huge leap forward for health creation in Newquay and its surrounds!
Volunteers and adult learners continued to develop their skills, to reconnect with their wellbeing through our therapeutic volunteering and learning sessions, and in September we hoisted yet another Green Flag Award for community service.
It was also a great year for our partnership with founders Luke and Amelia Berkeley who run Fentenfenna Farm. Working together we are exploring how the Farm offers opportunities for training, work experience and supported internships as well as demonstrating how farms can continue to play an integral role in the local community and rural economy.
Collaboration
As ever, our work has been a reflection of what can happen when the community truly comes together with shared purpose. This year, we’re grateful to have welcomed dozens of organisations big and small, from public services to individual entrepreneurs, and to have played our part in bringing some truly marvellous ideas to life: from a community dog show to a live oracle card reading, via an LGBTQ+ music festival!
We continue to be inspired by our natural environment and the wonderful humans who work together to make it a thriving and joyous place to inhabit. We look forward to bringing our message of hope and community spirit into the next ten years!