Ilford Community Apple harvest 2026
We are piloting a community effort to pick and use the apples going to waste in people’s gardens. These apples are fresh and organic with zero food miles.
We will collect and use apples from a minimum of 25 trees in Ilford, hopefully a lot more. The good ones we can distribute to the Community Grocer, Food banks and others. The bad’uns we will use what we can and turn to chutneys etc, using all the community recipes we can find.
We will use community kitchens in Belgrave Mosque Community Centre and Cranbrook Baptist Church.
For this first year we are only helping to pick apples in the roads around Christchurch School and around Highlands School. However if anyone wants to drop off their apples, we are going to organise drop off times and points.
Why just apples?
We won’t turn down other fruit but the focus is apples. Most of those we pick and use this year will have gone to waste in 2025. We want to start somewhere and see what we can achieve. We will get some experience, share our learning, and enjoy the community spirit along the way.
Got an apple tree? Get in touch or preferably register the tree here.
Your group would like to join us? Great. We have lots already and more is better.
You want to volunteer? There are a range of volunteer roles from pickers, to packers, to deliveries, to cooking… do get in touch. More info to follow.
In partnership with Redbridge Cooking Connections, Community Action Redbridge.