Fruit Works Co-operative is a social enterprise working across Leeds and Bradford to help communities plant, care for and learn about fruit trees. Their mission is simple and powerful: to enable more people to grow their own fruit as a step towards building resilient local food systems.
Through planting, pruning and propagating fruit trees, Fruit Works supports communities to reconnect with food growing and the natural environment. Alongside delivering practical work, the co-operative is committed to sharing knowledge and skills, offering training and support to people who are new to growing fruit.
Fruit trees and bushes offer long-term benefits for both people and wildlife. Year after year they provide free, nutritious food and create habitats for birds, mammals and insects. At a time of climate change, biodiversity loss and rising food insecurity, planting fruit trees plays a role in capturing carbon, restoring ecosystems and reducing reliance on imported food grown using harmful chemicals.
Fruit Works also grows quality fruit trees at its Leeds nursery, supported by a small team and volunteers. Trees are available for local collection or UK-wide delivery, helping more communities to get started.
“The work you have done with our Year 6 is invaluable and has exceeded our expectations. Hugely successful and I can highly recommend to all schools. Children of all ages get so much out of it.”
— Teacher, Westbourne Primary School
Leeds Community Food Growing Survey 2025
Alongside this practical work, Fruit Works Co-operative is working with FoodWise (the Leeds Food Partnership) to better understand the current state of community food growing in the city.
The Leeds Community Food Growing Survey 2025 asks:
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What is the current picture of community food growing in Leeds?
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What is needed to strengthen the movement?
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How can groups and organisations support each other better?
The survey is open to anyone growing food with others in a community space within the Leeds City Council boundary. It is not intended for private home gardens or allotments.
The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete. As a thank you, everyone who takes part will be entered into a prize draw to win a £50 voucher from Beardsworths, a large local wholesale nursery based near Junction 26 of the M62.
The deadline for responses is Sunday 18 January 2026 (midnight).
All responses are confidential. Only collated data will be shared, and any quotes used in future reports will be anonymised. Data will be held securely in line with Fruit Works Co-operative’s data protection policy.
By taking part, community growers can help shape a clearer picture of what is happening across Leeds and influence how support, resources and collaboration develop in the future.
