VOLUNTEERS are planning to plant a new orchard in a York park this weekend.

The lodge at West Bank Park in Holgate was damaged by fire at the end of last year, just days before campaigners were set to announce a funding boost towards a project which will create a new heritage centre and community cafe.

Catherine Heinemeyer, from Friends of West Bank Park, said: “We’ve been planning for some time to improve wildlife-friendly areas of the park and after the fire, that galvanised us a bit to think about how we can keep momentum around the project and affirm we want to celebrate it.

“We are going to plant a community orchard of Victorian varieties which might have been planted at the original Backhouse Nursery, in the grounds of what will hopefully be the centre.

“Trees like Early Rivers Cherry, Ashmead’s Kernel Apple, Victoria Plum, Conference Pear, Mulberry, and Medlar - an unusual but delicious fruit many people will not be familiar with.”

Funding for the project has come from Urban Buzz, an organisation which supports pollinating wildlife, and volunteers will help plant the trees on Saturday, with tools loaned by City of York Council.

Catherine said the group was still waiting to hear results of the investigation into the arson, but said that by planting the orchard of trees the Backhouse family would have been growing and selling at the time, they hoped the move would galvanise the community and prove “it could be a real focus for Holgate”.

She said: “Local people will be able to enjoy this fruit for many years to come and hopefully one day not too far in the future it will be in the garden space of the heritage centre.”

The planting will take place on Saturday, February 4, between 1pm and 4pm.

To find out more or volunteer for the project go to thebackhouse.co.uk