A worker co-operative with social and environmental values at its core
Fruit Works Co-operative is a social enterprise helping people to plant and maintain fruit trees in the Bradford and Leeds area.
We are a small team with a shared mission to make fruit growing more widespread and accessible. It is our belief that fruit growing can and should be easy and that anyone can do it.
Our work is spread across 4 main areas: designing and planting orchards, pruning mature fruit trees, growing and selling fruit trees from our nursery, and delivering training workshops.
Since its beginnings in 2020, Fruit Works has blossomed into a busy enterprise with numerous projects across Leeds and Bradford. We now work with schools, councils, community groups and individuals to provide trees and training for budding fruit growers.
Meet the Team
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Director
Gini’s love of tree planting developed during her time as a Volunteer Officer at Hollybush Conservation Centre in Leeds from 2018-19. She went on to gain an MSc in Sustainable Cities at the University of Leeds, where she learned more about urban ecosystems and community-led food production. Since founding Fruit Works, she has gained expertise in fruit tree planting and maintenance and is particularly adept with a grafting knife. Outside of work, Gini is a keen climber and is learning to grow her own vegetables.
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Director
Alan gained ample experience in delivering community planting projects during his time as Project Manager at The Orchard Project and later as Community Tree Planting Manager at Bradford Environmental Action Trust. He has been propagating and growing fruit trees as a hobby for many years, locally earning himself the nickname ‘Alan Apple’. Through Fruit Works, Alan has transformed his hobby into his livelihood. His other interests include spending time with family, playing cricket, cycling, brewing beer and progressive house.
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Director
Having worked in a variety of jobs across care and customer service, Fruit Works is their first experience of outdoor work, and they’re loving it! Trills is enjoying getting to grips with fruit tree care, and is developing wider interests in foraging, permaculture, and community forest gardens. In their spare time, they play the 5-string banjo and make chili oils.
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Apprentice
Having worked in a variety of jobs across care and customer service, Fruit Works is their first experience of outdoor work, and they’re loving it! Trills is enjoying getting to grips with fruit tree care, and is developing wider interests in foraging, permaculture, and community forest gardens. In their spare time, they play the 5-string banjo and make chili oils.
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Director & Sales Co-ordinator
Lydia's interest in sustainable food growing blossomed while volunteering and later working at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm. Since joining the team at Fruit Works, she's loved learning more about fruit trees. With a professional background in education and communications, she's also enjoying engaging with local people and communities. Outside of Fruit Works, she teaches a youth mental health course in schools, and she can also be found running, walking or playing music.
Co-operative Values
We are a worker co-operative, meaning that Fruit Works is collectively owned and democratically controlled by us, its members. Each member has an equal say in how the business is run and has access to education, training and work opportunities within the co-op’s activities. This way, worker co-ops create sustainable livelihoods in ethical businesses where everyone is valued.
As a worker co-op, we are dedicated to upholding the values of democracy, equality, social responsibility and caring for others. We are committed to supporting the communities we work with and assisting other co-ops. You can learn more about the principles and values shared by co-ops via the link below.
We are proud members of the Land Workers’ Alliance.
The LWA is a union of farmers, growers, foresters and land-based workers with a mission to create a better food and land-use system for everyone.
“We have a vision of a future where people can work with dignity to earn a decent living and everyone can access local, healthy and affordable food, fuel and fibre – a food and land-use system based on agroecology, food sovereignty and sustainable forestry that furthers social and environmental justice.”
