Harvesting the Urban Orchard DIVRS Harvesting the Urban Orchard | Page 18

HARVESTING THE URBAN ORCHARD
SECTION 3
DIVRS
Getting the Word Out
You could hold a kick-starter meeting within your community to share
your vision and invite participation with residents, local council, local
businesses and charitable organisations.
There are many ways of recruiting the kind of people you
need to help deliver the project:
v v advertising and sharing on social media sites
People
Power
v v getting a photo and blurb in a local newspaper or
relevant editorial
v v placing an ad in the local newspaper for volunteers
v v advertising on radio. Local radio stations have
promotional packages for community groups and not-for-profit
organisations, with free to low-cost announcements
v v posting on notice-boards at schools, libraries, health and organic stores
v v advertising in school newsletters
v v visiting community gardens and allotments
v v networking with Neighbourhood Houses
v v sharing on local government websites and community portals
v v setting up a stall at a local market or sustainability festival to drum up
interest and start mailing lists. Word-of-mouth works very well
v v In the recruitment phase, you will need to be clear about the
volunteer skill and fit you require. A volunteer profile might include
some of the following criteria:
w w gardening experience
w w ability to work in a team
w w flexible working hours
w w initial commitment for four seasons
w w access to email and phone
w w willing to undergo police check
w w own transport an advantage
w w community and volunteer work an advantage
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v v letterbox leafleting./distributing flyers is a great way
to recruit volunteers and householders, and to secure
community gardens with fruit trees (see example right)