The first trees in a new community orchard have been planted in Cardiff's Bute Park after a crime spree by vandals last year. The vandals caused thousands of pounds worth of damage last September after destroying more than 50 trees along with bins, planters and manhole covers.
In the wake of the attack, a community-led crowdfunding campaign emerged to combat the damage that was done to the park. Coupled with funding from Cardiff council's Coed Caerdydd mass tree planting programme, the campaign will now see two trees planted in the park for every one that was destroyed. There will be two orchard locations: a main one to the north of Blackweir playing fields, and a smaller one adjacent to the historic ‘Orchard Lawn' where the first heritage fruit trees, including apple, greengage, plum, pear, and cherry were planted today.
Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Councillor Jennifer Burke-Davies, said: "Bute Park’s the green heart of the city and the attack really felt like a knife in the heart for everyone involved, the team working there, the volunteers who help us look after it, the businesses who operate from the park, and I’m sure for the people who make over 2.5m visits to the park every year.
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"More than 20,000 trees were planted in Cardiff over the last planting season and this season our Coed Caerdydd project aims to plant even more, but I’m not sure any will feel more significant than the ones planted today. A big thank you has to go the community, their response with the crowdfunding, and the genuine care they show for the park, it’s been fantastic. The funds they’ve raised to replace the lost trees, many of which were planted by families in memory of their loved ones, has been essential."
A 'Reclaim the Park' event was held just days after the attack, organised by local architect Den Benham, alongside Melissa Boothman, whose Secret Garden Café sits at the heart of the park and whose fundraiser saw over £5,000 raised towards replacement trees.
"Our community is amazing. It wanted to go so much further than just helping to replace and make good the damage done. People believe in Bute Park as 'the people’s park' and today’s planting is the start of a living symbol of hope and resilience. The vision of an orchard designed by the community, planted by them and enjoyed by all has begun," Melissa said, speaking on behalf of the Community Orchard for Bute Park Steering Group.
Further trees at the larger orchard site are expected to be planted before the end of the planting season, which runs until spring next year. Replanting of the memorial trees destroyed in the attack has also begun. Nirdeep Kaur, who lost the memorial tree planted in memory of her mother to the vandalism, said: "My Mum was born here in Cardiff, but she died in India, and she was cremated so there was no headstone or anything, the tree was going to be ‘her place.’
"The whole family had contributed to raise money for it, so when I found out about the vandalism I was devastated, and so embarrassed as well, I just felt naïve thinking it would be there for years. I couldn’t tell anyone. I didn’t know then that we were going to get it replanted. I was so happy and relieved when I found out the money had been raised and it was being replanted, it means so much to me."
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