the secret gardener
Help is important now more than ever
With the help of supplier, Westland Horticulture, Tong Garden Centre has donated over £500 worth of bulbs and seeds to The Cellar Trust that it will use to add value to planters made by clients. The Cellar Trust is a registered charity that provides
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support to people recovering from mental health problems in the Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven areas. The team provides people with tailored support to help them move forward and improve their mental health and wellbeing, in a way that complements any additional support they are receiving through other services. Gemma Bingham, Community Fundraising Lead at the Trust said: "Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we had to close our Woodwork and Horticulture departments in July but we still have a large stock of planters and bird boxes that our clients made that we are hoping to sell in our online Christmas charity shop. We are wanting to sell the planters alongside some bulbs or seeds so that people can enjoy the full gardening experience at home. "We're so grateful to Tong and to Westland for this generous donation. This will allow a greater percentage of the profits from our online shop to go towards our life- saving mental health services that are currently busier than ever."
Phil Hemmings, Tong's garden sundries and Christmas buyer, said: "We're delighted to support the Cellar Trust and wish them all the best with their fundraising. Mental health problems affect everyone in different ways, and they can be devastating. The Trust's purpose is to support people when they face these challenges, and to empower them to move forward.
"The Trust was our charity of the year in 2017-8 and we raised over £8,500 for them and welcomed some of their clients for work experience in the garden centre, so it's a charity that is close to our hearts."
The garden centre industry has traditionally been a big supporter of charities and influential in the local community. Understandably, as Westland Horticulture intimates, Covid-19 has meant that charitable activity and donations have been particularly thin on the ground. With many charities struggling to survive, it’s perhaps best to stop and reflect. With businesses focusing on survival for many – luckily the garden centre industry is coping better than most – it’s now up to individuals to drive for helping out charities.
Where it’s a simple social media post, or suggesting a ‘Virtual Christmas Jumper Day’, for your team – a little festive and goodwill cheer will be good for us all – and gosh, don’t we need it this year!
And let’s looks close to home too – the likes of Greenfingers have really been suffering from a lack of activity and a lack of events this year. Supporting those organisations that are integral to our trade is key as the world looks to rebuild in 2021! A Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year to you all.
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www.gardencentreupdate.com GCU Winter 2020
was pleased to read recently of Bradford Garden Centre having donated seeds and bulbs to a Shipley mental health charity.
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