This week, Brentford and Hounslow Council came together with the local community to plant an orchard in Robin Grove Park. 

Brentford staff, including club ambassador Marcus Gayle and players Ethan Pinnock and Mikkel Damsgaard, came together with representatives from Hounslow Council and the mayor of the borough of Hounslow, Karen Smith, and councillors Salman Shaheen and Dan Bowring, to open and plant the orchard’s trees.

Young students from Brentford School for Girls also helped plant the orchard, which consists of 14 apple and pear trees.  

Robin Grove Park is situated in Syon and Brentford Lock Ward, near the club’s previous stadium Griffin Park, which was built on an orchard owned by the brewers Fuller Smith and Turner.

Representatives from club partner Asahi, owner of the Fuller’s beer and brewing business, contributed towards costs of the orchard and were also present at the event.  

The Robin Grove Park Orchard was created as part of Brentford’s commitment to nature and creating biodiversity.

According to International Union for Conservation of Nature, 24 per cent of Europe’s bumblebee species are threatened with extinction. They are in decline due to loss of habitat, pollution and climate change. New green spaces such as the orchard are vital for bees to thrive.

As well as helping bees, the orchard also serves as a place that the community can visit and enjoy. Last year, the club also established the Gtech Community Garden, a natural space just outside Gtech Community Stadium which consist of different plant species, such as wildflowers and herbs.

Brentford sustainability manager James Beale said: “We’re grateful to Hounslow Council for helping us develop this orchard, as well as all those from the community who planted trees with us.  

“Nature is a key pillar of our work here at Brentford. By enhancing and building green spaces, we can take small, but significant steps to nurturing our environment for our habitat and society. We hope the community can enjoy this space and benefit from it.” 

Councillor Salman Shaheen, cabinet member for culture, leisure and public spaces on Hounslow Council, added: “Our orchards are a cornerstone of our borough's history, as a place that once supplied London with its fruit and vegetables, and they are vital to our future, teaching the next generation the value of sustainability and living healthy lives.

"In recent years, we've honoured this legacy by planting 16 new orchards in parks such as Lampton Park, Farnell Field and Bedfont Lakes. 

“I am grateful to Brentford, and to club ambassador Marcus Gayle and players, Ethan Pinnock and Mikkel Damsgaard, for their collaboration on planting our borough's newest orchard in this once-neglected patch of land.

"It was wonderful to see local school children planting the new trees and making sure they were given the best start in their new home. I hope these same children will join other local people in watching the trees grow, thrive and bear fruit."