An East Devon woman is determined to raise funds for her local hospice charity through her love of gardening.
Gill Clay has rallied support in Colaton Raleigh, organising a group opening of 17 gardens, including her own, to raise vital funds for Hospiscare.
As the local hospice charity for Exeter, Central and East Devon, we care for over 2,000 patients and their families every year. Our charity depends upon funds raised by supporters like Gill to provide specialist end-of-life care to patients in their homes and on our Exeter ward.
Motivated by news that Hospiscare was forced to close beds on our ward due to lack of funding, Gill reached out to her local community to join the charity’s Open Gardens campaign.
Gill and Rob Clay
Gill explains, “I put up notices in the village and on our village Facebook page. It started off with seven gardens and grew to 17, including my own. The response from the community has been fantastic, and we’ve had offers from people volunteering to help in other ways, as well as support from local and national companies who are sponsoring the gardens.
“We have a complete variety of gardens opening. There is a cluster of beautiful small cottage gardens in the centre of the village, as well as many larger gardens with panoramic views of the countryside. Some of the gardens extend down to the village stream, and there is a huge variety and abundance of flowers. A local artist’s group are running a sale of floral art in the village hall where we will also have a raffle, plant stall and cream teas and cakes.”
Gill and Rob’s garden will open along with 16 others in Colaton Raleigh to raise vital funds for Hospiscare
Over 40 gardens will open across the heart of Devon from 18 April to celebrate the diversity of the county’s flora and fauna and generate much-needed funds for patient care.
Gill concludes, “I used to volunteer at the hospice, serving lunches to patients, and I have seen first-hand what a fantastic job they do. It is essential to raise funds and keep the hospice going.”
To find a garden near you, click here.
Inspired to open your own garden for Hospiscare? Contact [email protected] or call 01392 688020 to get involved.
