Two brothers have revisited their roots at the King's School Macclesfield to use their expertise of the natural world to help with tree planting on the new campus.

Bert and Archie Thorneycroft are the founders of Fruits of the Forage, a successful local enterprise that makes products from fruits that would otherwise go to waste.

The brothers, who have won several awards for their wild preserves, cordials and spirits, spent a day earlier this month at the school's new 80-acre campus in Prestbury planting a range of fruit trees and hedgerow plants.

Bert and Archie planted a number of Elderflower, Damson, Apple and Greengage trees in a large area behind the School's new Sports Centre.

Caroline Johnson, Director of External Relations at King's, said: "We were delighted to welcome back Bert and Archie, plus some of their colleagues, to help establish fruit trees and hedgerow plants in an area of our new campus which we are developing as a habitat for wildlife and outdoor teaching.

"The hedgerow and fruit trees will complement other wildlife initiatives such as a large pond, Bat boxes and Swift Boxes."

Based in Macclesfield, Fruits of the Forage was formed in 2014 by the Thorneycroft brothers originally as makers of preserves and cordials made with heritage fruits from abandoned orchards & native wild plants.

The company has grown since then and also runs foraging courses, tree planting projects and delivers fruit and veg boxes all over Greater Manchester and parts of Cheshire.

Bert Thorneycroft said: "My dad, me and all my siblings attended King's and a number of the teachers had a really big influence on us as children, instilling in us a love of nature and the great outdoors.

"We were really pleased to be invited back by some of those teachers, Mr Percival and Mr Bartle in particular, who are now developing outdoor learning areas at the School's new campus to inspire the next generation – and we're really happy to be part of that."