Our aim

Fruit Rescue collects fruit from people’s gardens and public spaces that would otherwise go to waste.

We share this produce with the people who register trees, volunteer pickers, and organisations that provide fresh produce or preserved goods to those who may have limited access.

We want to boost health, build community resilience and create an interconnected group of volunteers

How we do it

  1. Community members register their trees.

  2. Volunteers register to receive picking event invitations as fruit ripens.

  3. During a picking session, the fruit is harvested, divided, and distributed.

  4. We share fruit with our partner organisations who get it to people who may not otherwise have access.

This collaborative effort involving volunteers, people registering trees, and community recipients creates our Fruit Rescue network that brings many benefits to our region.

It enhances food security, promotes healthier lifestyles by increasing access to and consumption of fresh fruit, and fosters stronger neighbourhood bonds, ultimately contributing to more resilient communities.

Our history

Fruit Rescue started in 2023 from a Leadership Great South Coast community project. It was inspired and supported by The Hidden Orchard, a similar program in Ballarat.

Our first harvest ran across the summer of 2023/24 and resulted in 1,305kg of fruit being rescued and redistributed. This is the equivalent of over $10,400 worth of produce, plus a reduction of 900kg of carbon dioxide from production emissions.

We’re now in our second season and look forward to updating the community on our progress.

Our supporters and partners

Thank you to our incredible community of donors and supporters.


Ern Hartley Foundation

FAQ - frequently asked questions

  • Fruit Rescue covers Warrnambool, Allansford, Bushfield, Woodford, Koroit and Port Fairy. But if there’s enough interest, we can look at pushing the boundaries!

  • Members of the community register trees, volunteer pickers register to receive picking event invitations as fruit ripens. The fruit is picked at a session and then divided and distributed. We share it between the fruit tree owner, volunteer pickers, and organisations that provide food to those with limited access.

  • Depends on the season! It could be one a week or multiple times a day in the harvest season.

  • We warmly welcome you to get involved and be part of Fruit Rescue. Head to the Volunteer page, fill out the form and someone from the team will be in touch. Other positions on offer are listed under the harvest leader page.

  • Absolutely! Picks happen at different times during the year, so you get to decide when and how often you can help.

  • You can register your own tree through the share a tree page or by filling out a form available at the Warrnambool Community Gardens, or Archie Graham Centre. Or send an email - hellofruitrescue@gmail.com

  • We’d welcome your donation. Contact us and we can talk about the options for donating fruit for us to distribute.