Darlac, the cutting tools experts, has donated tools worth more than £1,300 to the Chelsea Pensioners for their summer gardening programme, which encourages veterans at The Royal Hospital Chelsea to enjoy a spot of gardening.

The Royal Hospital Chelsea is home to nearly 300 men and women who are veterans of the British Army and has had allotments and garden spaces for use by the Pensioners since its establishment in 1692 by Charles II

Amongst the tools was the Snapper, created for accessing just-out-of-reach spots safely from the ground rather than on a ladder and also ideal for wheelchair users.

Jimmy, a 92 year-old resident of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a keen gardener who enjoys tending his roses, has difficulty reaching higher branches of climbing roses as he is mostly wheelchair-bound. The Darlac Snapper has provided him with more independence, as well as enabling him to keep gardening.

Alan McLaren, head of corporate and business development at The Royal Hospital Chelsea, said: “Jimmy often has to get help from others when he’s out in the gardens, which can be quite frustrating for him, so it was great to see him enjoying being able to garden on his own and escape to his own world for a little while. The provision of these tools means a great deal to the Pensioners at The Royal Hospital Chelsea, and to the carers who see them every day, as it gives them their own freedom, and the accessible design of the tools means they can become immersed in their gardening for just that bit longer.”

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