A NORTH-EAST community opened their gardens and their hearts to support two charities.
Gardeners and homeowners in Skelton, in North Yorkshire, organised a communal open gardens event in aid of Butterwick Hospice Care and Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice, based in nearby Stockton and Middlesbrough.
The event was organised by husband and wife, Joyce and Stuart White, who led an enthusiastic group of green-thumbed locals in sharing ten beautiful gardens with visitors.
Stuart said: “Because both Butterwick and Zoe’s Place rely on fundraising donations to support young children, they seemed like a good charities to choose. We wanted to help the kids and their families.”
Joyce added: “It’s been wonderful – it’s a really lovely bunch of people who came together to open their gardens. They’ve been so outgoing and so friendly, and visitors really responded to that. We want to say a big thank you to everyone who got involved.”
The appeal raised £4,240.82 to be split between the two charities. The total was supplemented by gardeners also selling refreshments, as well as plants and cuttings they had raised.
Ashleigh Wood, a fundraiser for Butterwick Hospice, said: “Community initiatives like Skelton Open Gardens are at the heart of what Butterwick Hospice is about: local services helping local people, supported by local communities.
“We’re immensely grateful to Joyce and Stuart, to everyone who do generously opened their gardens to the public, and to all the hundreds of visitors who donated to gain entry.”
Joyce and Stuart are hoping to re-open the gardens again next summer. Visit www.opengardens.co.uk for more information.