Gardening for health charity Thrive raised an impressive £3,388 through an auction and raffle at the two-day Europlants event at Hatfield, Hertfordshire.

Celebrity TV gardener and Thrive ambassador, David Domoney got the bidding underway with top prizes including Premier League Tottenham Hotspur tickets, a dinner for four at London’s Sky Garden and a giant 7kg Easter Egg!

David, who’s Thrive’s longest standing ambassador, delivered a passionate speech about the benefits of Social & Therapeutic Horticulture and the positive changes that gardening brings to the lives of people living with disabilities or ill health. Thrive’s Head of Marketing and Engagement, Sally Wright, shared an inspiring story of Rowena, a client gardener at Thrive Birmingham and thanked Europlants for their partnership: 

‘It was a very successful two days and a wonderful collaboration between Europlants and Thrive. David was a brilliant auctioneer and drove people to dig deep, a big thank you to everyone who contributed.’

Europlants has been a valued supporter of Thrive since first being introduced to their work in 2015. Jay Shah said: "We’re thrilled to announce our continued sponsorship of Thrive, an inspiring charity dedicated to utilising gardening to transform lives. Thrive's mission deeply resonates with our values, as they harness the therapeutic power of plants to enhance mental health and wellbeing."

Europlants Ltd, is a supplier of specimen plants in the UK and the UK agent for Vannucci Piante, the largest specimen producer in Europe. Horticultural traders were invited to wander round their 12-acre centre located in Hatfield and explore a wide range of specimen plants including bamboo, Photinia, palms and topiary as well as an array of exotic plants, climbers, conifers, and trees.

Thrive Fundraiser, Zoe Maynard attended the first day of the event and said she was heartened by the generosity of bidders:

“We were made to feel very welcome and were able to raise much needed funds for our work to support people at our centres in London, Birmingham and Reading. Partnerships like this are incredibly important, it was a fantastic effort by all!”