If you’re thirsty and fancy a slice of cake, there’s a new place to go.

The new Orchard Tearoom, which has seen the conversion of a disused portable cabin into a much needed community space. It is a stylish place to sit, eat and relax, was officially opened last Saturday at the Velvet Community Orchard at Witton Lakes.

This is a welcome addition to the park and will be a great venue for everyone in the local community of Perry Common and Wyrley Birch to enjoy.

The open event was an excellent opportunity for everyone who had made the project possible, to get together and celebrate the transformation of a disused cabin into a stylish venue.

Alongside the grand opening of the Orchard Tearoom and natural play area, this was an excellent opportunity to let everyone see what’s been going on at the orchard, and being Halloween, there were lots of spooky activities taking place – with guess how many eyeballs are in the jar, making spooky crafts and even a chance to make a real-life witches broomstick. There was also plenty of free cake and hot drinks for all the guests.

“I really enjoyed going on the new climbing frame. You can look over and see the lakes” said Emily, age 10.

The project has been made possible with £10,000 funding from Tesco’s Bags Of Help and Groundwork West Midlands.   Over the past three months, the cabin has been transformed with the help of local groups and organisations.

Sabrina Jaques, Environmental Initiatives Officer at Witton Lodge Community Association says: “I would like to say a big, big thank you to everyone who has made the Orchard Tearoom and natural play area a reality. We have had so much support for this project. The Kingstanding Neighbourhood Police Team helped strip the cabin, removing the windows and doing the really dirty work. The team from Santander in Erdington came, jet-washed and painted the cabin – with support throughout the project from the Fifty Shades of Green Gardening Group and the Friends Of Witton Lakes.

I would also like to say thank you to my colleagues at Witton Lodge Community Association, and my friends and family who gave extra help with decorating and adding the finishing touches. And last but certainly not least, thank you to the local community who came along and offered their support.