OBee CIC's Annual Report for 2019-20



As a Community Interest Company we produce an annual report - based on our social, environmental and heritage outcomes. This report was verified by OBee CIC Members our online AGM on 28th November 2020.

The headlines for the year 1/10/19 - 30/9/20 were:-

Due to Lockdown the number of volunteer days was slightly down on last year, comprising 624 practical days, 303.5 semi-skilled days and 147 skilled days

The 'In-kind' value of these 1074.5 days was £120,820 (based on HLF rates)

28 Volunteers live within a 10 mile radius of Orchard Barn, 13 others live in Suffolk, another 7 in the rest of East Anglia and 6 from the rest of the UK

  • The gardening project continues to grow a range of tasty produce
  • Volunteer skills development included hedge-laying, timber framing, green wood working, wattle and daubing, archaeology, museum curation, local history research composting, preserving produce, old carpentry tool restoration and sharpening
  • Pre Lockdown we held a Wassail in the orchard and an event called Love Wood
  • We delivered 10 courses, these included Greenwood working, Restoration Skills, Traditional Carpentry (West Suffolk College Construction students) Wattle and Daub x 2, Lime Finishes, an Introduction to Timber Framing.
  • We awarded 35 IHBC CPD attendance certificates
  • Delivered Heritage Lottery funded training both in the woods and framing the next stage of Long House frame
  • We also ran a Suffolk Community Foundation funded project for older people, and more timber framing for volunteers was funded by The Radcliffe Trust
  • Lady Skinner Charitable Trust funded the making of the museum shelves

Partnership working included Greenways Ipswich, West Suffolk College, Suffolk County Council, and Orchards East

  Orchard Barn Annual Report 19-20