Another Garden Re-Leaf Day might be over, but the memories created are set to last forever. Whether it was tackling physical challenges, testing your knowledge with a quiz, hoping Lady Luck was on your side with a raffle or everything in between, this year’s Garden Re-Leaf supporters pulled out all the stops and the Greenfingers charity would like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone that took part!

The Garden Re-Leaf Sponsored Walk & Cycle Challenge

From 10 to 100 miles, this year’s Sponsored Walk and Cycle Challenge saw 57 walkers and 12 cyclists enjoy a glorious day of sunshine in the heart of Buckinghamshire. Starting and ending at Dobbies World’s End Garden Centre in Wendover, the event welcomed a host of new faces including walkers from Woodmansterne, Hornby Whitefoot PR’s Charlotte Cowell and Garden Trade News’ Alan Burdon.

Teams were also entered from Evergreen, Glee and Mr Fothergill’s, DLF, Hozelock, Comtact and Kew Green Hotels. This year’s cyclists, including riders from Greenfingers, Westland Horticulture, Rivington Garden Designs, Hozelock, Frosts Garden Centre, Poplars Garden Centre, Mr Fothergill’s Seeds and Evergreen Garden Care, went above and beyond with Westlands’ Simon Mullholland cycling 100 miles and father and son team, Colin and Jack Goodhand, both clocking up 50 miles.  

Thanks must also go to founder of Garden Re-Leaf Day, Boyd Douglas Davies and all those that kindly volunteered to support this year’s event, including Dobbies who were once again incredible hosts, Hozelock who provided Instagram- worthy water bottles, LOFA who sponsored the much welcome drinks for the end of the walk, as well as Five7Fitness, Jane Lawler, local volunteers and the Greenfingers team who volunteered their time to kindly steward the walkers and cyclists throughout the day.  

Garden centre support

It wasn’t just the Sponsored Walk and Cycle Challenge that got people FUNdraising this Garden Re-Leaf Day!

Garden centres from across the country were busy on Friday and the wider trading weekend to not only raise much needed funds for the Greenfingers charity but to also raise awareness of the incredible impact a Greenfingers funded garden can have upon the patients, families and staff at each hospice.

This Garden Re-Leaf Day, garden centre support came from all corners of the country, including Millbrook, Perrywood, Klondyke, Haskins, The Old Railway Line, Garsons (Titchfield and Esher sites), Bellis Brothers Farm Shop and Garden Centre and across all of British Garden Centre’s 60 stores.

Together these centres enjoyed a range of fundraising activities including raffles, cake sales, coffee mornings, Garden Re-Leaf quizzes, a special ‘TeLeaf for ReLeaf’ event, an in-house Bake-Off challenge, and the introduction of the ‘pennies scheme’ at Millbrook Garden Centres where customers are offered the chance to round-up their purchase, both in-store and online, with the extra pennies donated heading straight to the charity. 

FUNdraising at work

Elsewhere, other Greenfingers supporters including Woodmansterne, Mr Fothergill’s and Evergreen Garden Care held bake-offs and cake sales, whilst Greenfingers Trustee, Rob Jones (of The Garden Design Company) offered complimentary garden blitzes or free garden design consultations to anyone that made a £250 (suggested) donation to the charity. On the day, Rob completed seven garden blitzes for customers old and new.

Greenfingers Garden Project Manager, Joanne Kennedy and 20 friends walked seven miles around Calke Castle, whilst AMES UK undertook a garden revamp volunteer day at nine hospices.

Finally, QVC ran another inspiration Garden Re-Leaf garden product sale. We look forward to sharing more details of all those involved as soon as we know more.

Linda Petrons, Greenfingers Director of Fundraising & Communications said: “We will never stop being amazed by the phenomenal effort and dedication our supporters show us on Garden Re-Leaf Day. From the bottom of our hearts, and on behalf of all those that spend time in a Greenfingers funded garden, thank you. You really are the best supporters we could ever ask for!”

The full Garden Re-Leaf FUNdraising total will be revealed soon!

Find out more

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