Sponsored Walk turns Buckinghamshire Green for Garden Re-Leaf Day

Over 60 participants from the garden industry and many others descended on World’s End’s Garden Centre in Wendover for the charity’s annual fundraising event – Garden Re-Leaf Day. Challenges included a sponsored 10 or 20-mile walk through the Chiltern Hills and a 50 and 100-mile cycle ride through the Buckinghamshire countryside.

First to cross the finish line for the walk was Greenfingers Vice-Chairman Dennis Espley with Mr Fothergill’s Matt Jackson, the first cyclist to complete the gruelling 100-mile route. Approximately £15,000 has been raised from both events so far with the total set to carry on rising.

Now in its seventh year, Garden Re-Leaf Day is Greenfingers Charity’s biggest fundraiser which has raised over £500,000 since 2012.As well as the challenge events, many garden centres and hotels took part in Garden Re-Leaf Day, holding quiz nights, cake sales, 12-hour Plantathons and much more.

The money raised by all those who took part will enable Greenfingers, a small national charity, tocontinue its work creating magical and inspiring gardens for life-limited children and their families who spend time in hospices acrossthe UK.

Greenfingers has to date created 55 special gardens in hospices around the country, and has a further waiting list of hospices that need help.

Guests of honour at the event were the grandparents of Ollie Gardiner. Jacqui and Terry cut the starting ribbon to show support for the work of Greenfingers Charity.

Linda Petrons, Head of Fundraising and Communications at Greenfingers Charity said: “I’d like to thank the team at World’s End Garden Centre for their fantastic support and the many FUNdraising heroes who took part in the walk and cycle challenge on Garden Re-Leaf Day.

"Greenfingers strongly believes in supporting the local communities in which we operate so we were honoured to have Ollie Gardiner’s grandparents as our very special guests.”

Anyone wishing to donate to this year’s appeal or would like to find out more about Greenfingers Charity should visitwww.greenfingerscharity.org.uk