This is Haslemere met with one of directors at COPSE, Claire Mathies.

About COPSE

COPSE is short for Community Orchard Project South East and was launched in October 2019 as a Community Interest Company. It's a not-for-profit Social Enterprise based in Haslemere and led by Claire, her ecologist husband Gareth, Susan Ryland and ecologist Andy Rothwell.

The team work with all kinds of stakeholders including landowners, residents, community groups, councils to create and enhance Community Orchards for both humans, wildlife and biodiversity. Although COPSE does not own any orchards, they have had extensive input into creating approximately 30 orchards in the South East. They do not work full-time managing any of the orchards, but support every season of the orchard year at the  National Trust’s Swan Barn Farm in Haslemere, you sense the pride in Claire’s voice as she describes their work to date helping residents and communities create these wonderful spaces.

COPSE’s orchards

COPSE has planted and relocated plum, apple, pear, crab apple, medlar, fig, damson, quince and mulberry trees which are bought, donated or even occasionally transplanted. Their projects vary. They include a 5-year orchard trail in a Waverley Borough Council cemetery where the team will be notching up five years on that project in 2025. They held an event with the Muslim community to plant fig trees in The Eastern Cemetery. They planted an orchard on Lion Green, a fruit tree on the grass verge outside St. Bartholomew’s Church as part of wider church gardening project by The Den Youth Group, fruit trees in Parsons Green, fruit tree planting with Grayswood Forest School with thanks to a grant from Haslemere Town Council and donations from forest school parents. Waverley Borough Council also engaged with COPSE at one of their social housing sites where they planted fruit trees and go back every year to look after them. COPSE also holds hands on apple pressing sessions at some of their sites and we can confirm that nothing beats freshly squeezed apple juice.

COPSE in the community

Claire sees a strong link between local orchards in Haslemere and other community groups too. For example, a new partnership will be to work with the Haslemere Community Fridge that was set up towards the end of 2024. At harvest time, COPSE has surplus fruit from their orchards when produce tends to be fruiting around the same time and they can distribute it to the community via the Community Fridge. It’s going to be perfect for us to distribute fruit that has not been sprayed or treated and has been grown locally. It is so satisfying for them to reduce waste and maybe help those who are struggling in line with the Community Fridge’s principles. And COPSE will continue to nurture existing partnerships where they have distributed fresh fruit to the Haslewey Community Centre, The Haslemere Food Bank and the local community mental health service. They have even donated surplus fruit to Dylan’s Ice Cream Parlour and some local pubs.

COPSE is in early discussions with Love Haslemere Hate Waste to create a Jam Cooperative and Chutney Workshops, maybe down at Swan Barn with the support of David Elliott who is the NT ranger there.

Latest News

Following a great Swan Barn Wassail turn-out on 17th January, COPSE has been quickly able to put their newly raised funds to good use. With Lynchmere Common's management team doing the planting, donations of orchard-less fruit trees from Surrey County Council and several 3-year old trees from the fantastic Adams Apples COPSE planted a small community orchard at Imbhams Farm from its Wayward Wassail funds.​ You can read more about this here.

COPSE and volunteers

Volunteers are at the core (pardon the pun) of COPSE. The team has regular volunteers and is very much supported by the Transition Haslemere who always lend a hand.

As a social enterprise, COPSE’s orchard work is very much community focused and residents love to get involved, recognising the COPSE team when they arrive to care for the orchards. When you are working outdoors with volunteers, you talk about the nature that is all around you and you pick up on the conversations from your previous site visits. You are always learning from each other. You make lovely friendships in the open air and residents take pride in the area because they have made a contribution to their environment.

Volunteers help in different ways. They might come out and help us dig, they might volunteer to prune or they might come out and offer us cup of tea. Some offer non-financial donations of bird boxes, bird feeders, bee hotels etc. or let us fill watering cans from their garden tap. Volunteers help us where they can and make COPSE a very special enterprise.

Follow COPSE:

Website

Instagram

Facebook