You’ve heard of Comic Relief and Band Aid, well Garden Re-Leaf Day is the horticultural industry’s equivalent, raising money to create gardens and outdoor spaces at hospices for children. To date Greenfingers Charity has created 51 inspiring gardens around the country and has a waiting list of hospices needing its help.
“Support from Garden Re-leaf Day means we have been able to count on regular income to meet our ambitious targets,” says Greenfingers Charity founder Richard Jackson.
The charity was founded 18 years ago by QVC presenter Richard Jackson, who teamed up with three garden industry colleagues, Boyd Douglas-Davis, Chris Webb and Mike Dunnett. “We realised there was a great need for outdoor spaces at children’s hospices where the young people, their friends and their families could relax, have fun together and make some precious memories.”
The gardens take the children and families into a healing, supportive environment that allows them to embrace the benefits of being in the fresh air and engage with the natural environment. The charity is committed to creating specially designed, stimulating garden spaces that can bring many benefits to children with life-limiting conditions.
Garden Re-Leaf Day
The annual Garden Re-Leaf Day not only marks the start of spring and the beginning of the gardening season, but also helps raise awareness of the work of the charity and brings the cause to the attention of the gardeners, schools and the rest of the gardening industry. It kick starts spring, getting everyone gardening and thinking about their gardens.
This year the Garden Re-Leaf day marks it’s fifth birthday with nationwide activities and events at garden centres and nurseries. From raffles, car washes, special afternoon teas, to 24-hour Plant-athons and other sponsored events, there’s something for everyone to get involved. Some outlets will be donating their carrier bag tax funds to the Greenfingers Charity too.
Special Garden Re-Leaf Day Events
Join in and help raise money for this very special cause.
- There are events at most UK garden centres, check your local press for details, visit the Garden Re-Leaf Day website where the list of events is online, or just drop into your local garden centre on March 17 and get involved.
- Help raise awareness on social media and take part in the Briers #Gluvies campaign. Simply take a picture of yourself waving while wearing gardening gloves and then upload to Twitter using @gardenreleaf and #Gluvies or post on Facebook and other social media networks.
- Sponsor a Plant-athon.
- Join the sponsored Garden Re-Leaf Day Walk around Cambridge on March 17 2017, starting at Horningsea at 9am and finishing at Great Shelford. Or if you can’t make it, you could sponsor one of the teams here.
- Buy one of the promotional Greenfingers charity products such as the Briers Kids Tool Kit or the Gardman’s Charity Tree Mat and a percentage from every sale will be donated to the charity.
- Tune in to Richard Jackson’s Garden QVC on March 18 and 19 (9am to 11am both mornings) for the special Garden Re-Leaf shows. For every pack of plants and each product sold, £1.50 will be donated to the cause.
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