Our Certificate in Community Orcharding (CICO) is a unique course that combines high quality online learning with 7 action-packed, face-to-face training days. You will learn from orchard experts at a range of venues in Ealing and Hounslow, topping up your learning at home with over 100 online resources.
This Level 3 course is accredited by Crossfields Institute and includes 12 pieces of homework. We’ve been training professionals since 2017 and it’s been hugely successful, with over 230 students becoming certified orchardists. This course will be CICO17.
What can I gain from this course?
The course covers:
Orchard survey and design
Tree identification, physiology and taxonomy
Tree planting, pruning and grafting
Soil science and fertility
Managing the groups caring for orchards
Holistic orchard management, including biodiversity, pests & disease
Many of our students already work (or are planning to work) in the horticultural sector in roles such as rangers, community garden managers or horticultural therapists. Not only will this course give you skills and experience needed to help you progress, but you’ll also benefit from being part of our inclusive orcharding network. Here’s what a few of our students had to say:
“After CICO I worked at TOP for 6 months. I am now a freelancer working for a fruit and nut growing project in Birmingham.” Cath
“Taking the [CICO] course helped me out professionally…After finishing the course, I obtained a job as an Estate Worker in a Hertfordshire park…Being able to talk about the course helped me out in the interview.” – Gora
“The Orchard Project CICO and the AFG courses were both excellent and I have recently highly recommended them to others I’ve met on other workshops and events. Inspired by the expertise and passion of the tutors and meeting other like-minded people from across the UK was a wonderfully enriching experience.” Hina
“I’m now a project manager at a Forest Garden and I could not have got this job without my CICO experience.” – Bethany
“This is the best course I’ve ever done!” – Franki
What to expect
To introduce the training platform, give a course overview and set the first homework, you should attend one of these Zoom meetings:
Sun 1st Feb, 16:00-17:30- introductory Zoom OR
Mon 2nd Feb, 18:00-19:30 introductory Zoom
Face-to-face elements
You must attend all the face-to-face training days to be able to gain the Certificate. These take place on Mondays and Tuesdays 10:00-16:00, and are held at various locations:
Mon 2nd Mar – Planting & Pruning – Heston Community Garden, Heston, TW5 0JG
Mon 30th Mar – Grafting & Biodiversity – Boston Manor Park, Boston Manor Road, Brentford, TW8 9JX
Mon 21st Apr – Soil & Surveying – The Dig Community Garden, 62 Green Lane, Hanwell, W7 2PB
Mon 18th May – Botany, fruit formation, tree id – Chiswick House and Gardens, Chiswick, W4 2RP
Mon 8th Jun – Successful group work – The Dig Community Garden, 62 Green Lane, Hanwell, W7 2PB
Tue 7th Jul – Orchard design – Horsenden Hill Farm, Perivale, UB6 7PQ
Mon 17th Aug – Summer pruning and grafting – The Salopian Garden, Isleworth, TW7 4ES
Online elements
45 films and PowerPoints (with subtitles), 26 interactive quizzes and 33 downloadable PDFs. The training platform will be available a few days before the course starts and for a year after it finishes. All of our resources are unique and produced by us or with expert guests.
Workload
To support the online materials and the face-to-face training, you’ll have access to our friendly tutors and of course, your fellow students. This will help you stay on top of the work, which includes 12 pieces of homework and six assessed quizzes. On average you can expect a couple of pieces of homework a month and will need to allow about 2 hours a week to complete it.
Your practical skills will be assessed on the face-to-face training days. Please note it’s similar level of difficulty as an A level. However, we can be flexible; if the accreditation is not for you, you can attend without being assessed for the Certificate.
Cost
FREE* (7 places) access to full course with or without accreditation – see eligibility criteria below
£1,230 (general, max 7) – full course & accreditation (payment by instalments available)
£880* (concessionary, max 2) – full course & accreditation (payment by instalments available)
£880 (unaccredited, max 2) – full course without accreditation (payment by instalments available)
£420 (materials only x 2) – access to online learning materials and course book only
*FREE City Bridge Trust places x 7. Deadline to apply: Sunday 11th January 2026. These 7 places are sponsored by City Bridge Trust and are open to people who are unemployed, economically inactive or on low income (below £20,000 p.a) and living in London. Once you have applied for one of the free places we will assess your application and prioritise people who are also from a minoritised group and/or aged 18-30. To apply, select the ‘Free CBT’ ticket and fill out the booking form. The deadline for applications is midnight on 11th January and we’ll let you know if you have been successful by Wednesday 14th January.
**Concessionary places: For those who are unemployed, economically inactive or on low income (below £20,000 p.a.).
Pay-by-instalments: If you wish to pay-by-instalments please contact sarah@theorchardproject.org.uk prior to booking this ticket. The full cost of the course is £1,230 and you need to pay an initial deposit of £240 then set up a monthly standing order for £165, starting in Feb and ending in July 2025 (£165 x 6). For concessionary and unaccredited tickets (£880), you will pay an initial £190 and then £115 for 6 months.
Please contact sarah@theorchardproject.org.uk if you have any other queries.
External links for financial support:
Thomas Wall Trust
Professional Gardeners’ Trust
Perennial