The Greenfingers Appeal


The Greenfingers Appeal is the horticultural equivalent of Comic Relief – an exciting opportunity for the horticultural, gardening and landscape industries to work together in order to raise money for charity. The brainchild of gardening writer and broadcaster Richard Jackson, The Greenfingers Appeal was launched in November 1998 and proved an instant success, attracting pledges of support from some 300 UK businesses and a host of gardening experts and celebrities.

This year the Greenfingers Appeal is rasing funds to provide gardens in Chrildrens Hospices. There are 21 (and more are being buiet yearly) Children's Hospices in the UK, dedicated to caring for children not expected to live beyond the age of 19. The average running cost of each is about £1 million and in 1999 the NHS provided less than 5% of this. The rest has be raised through voluntary contributions.



Mr Rotavator & Garden Innovations presenting a cheque to the Greenfingers appeal

www.greenfingers.co.uk
The money raised through the Greenfingers Appeal will be directed towards the maintenance, provision and enhancement of Hospice gardens and grounds - improving the environment and relieving hard pressed budgets. Whilst typically the children are too ill to get actively involved, the grounds of a Hospice can play a vital role as a place of peace, solitude and calm for the parents, friends and relations - a place for spiritual repair and reflection.

A number of initatives have been developed for the Greenfingers Appeal 2004 enabling each sector of the industry to play a part in raising funds whilst simultaneously increasing consumers awareness and enhancing perception of horticulture and gardening.