Fresh fruit could soon be on offer at a club, school or community centre near you, thanks to Pride Whakatāne.

The advocacy and beautification group has bought 90 fruit trees from Waimea Nurseries to give to worthy community groups and organisations. 

Pride Whakatāne Committee Chair and Whakatāne District Councillor Andrew Iles says the project is a good way for people to see the benefits of sustainable gardening. "It's great to see community groups and organisations sharing the benefits of nurturing fruit trees with members of the public. The initiative teaches children about growing nutritious food and encourages them to eat healthily.

"We enjoy seeing people get something in return for their efforts."

The initiative has run in previous years, with various types of trees available and plenty of groups taking up the offer. This year peach, apple, plum, apricot and feijoa trees are available and will be given away on a first-in, first-served basis. 

All community groups and organisations in the Whakatāne district are invited to apply to receive a tree. Those interested simply need to send organisation details and an explanation about how they'd benefit from planting a fruit tree to Andrew Iles - waimanailes@xtra.co.nz