THE focus was on the county's orchards as the launch of a new community project got underway in Hereford city centre.

Stilt walkers dressed as trees frolicked around the Hereford Bull statue, the cathedral and the old bridge to bring attention to the national project, Helping Britain Blossom.

Herefordshire is the first county where the project will go live and will restore and create up to 14 accessible and community orchards in the county.

Pete Norton, Helping Britain Blossom project manager for Hereford and an associate of the Bulmer Foundation said: "We are hoping it will get people into the orchards, where they can learn new skills, meet other people from their community and be in nature. All of those things are really beneficial for people."

There are more than 10,000 acres of orchards in the county but these are not usually accessible to the public.

Helping Britain Blossom, a partnership between HEINEKEN, The Urban Orchard Project and The Bulmer Foundation, hopes to change this and set up community groups to run their own orchards.

The partners will provide support along the way.

Mr Norton added: “We’re delighted to be a partner in this nationally significant project and that Herefordshire is one of the pilot areas to introduce it.

"We can use our experience of community engagement and build on our previous innovative work with orchards to support local people who wish to develop orchards as a community resource.”

The sites where community orchards will be restored and created will be developed in consultation with local communities over the coming year.

Anyone interested in volunteering and developing a community orchard in their area can contact Mr Norton on 07974 447905/ peter.norton@bulmerfoundation.org.uk.