The Thetford Open Gardens (TOG) team is thrilled to announce this year’s incredible fundraising total, a fantastic £18,724.22 raised for St Nicholas Hospice Care through three events held between April and July, a fitting tribute to TOG founder Liz Hodgson.
“This year saw the launch of our first-ever TOG Curry Night, generously hosted by New Saffron, which was a huge success,” said TOG Chair, Karen-Emma White. “We followed that with our annual plant sale in May, and of course, the beloved Open Gardens Day in June, now a staple of the Thetford calendar.”
Karen also acknowledged the invaluable support that makes these events possible. “We’re incredibly lucky to have long-standing support from Lawsons Estate Agents and Thetford Garden Centre, who’ve been with us for 19 years. We’re also grateful to Leaping Hare, About Thetford magazine, Tesco Thetford for hosting our garden owner celebration, and Colour Print, who stepped in to help after our original printers closed in March.”
The team offered heartfelt thanks to everyone who played a part including the Mayor. From those who donated prizes and opened their gardens, to those who bought raffle tickets, attended events, or sponsored the campaign.
“Thetford Open Gardens is about the power of small contributions coming together. We truly believe that together, we can make a difference, and this year proves it.” George Chivers, Community Fundraising Manager at St Nicholas Hospice Care, expressed his amazement at the final total. “I’m still in shock! Honestly, no words can do it justice. When I heard it was a record year, I expected a few hundred pounds more, not thousands! It’s truly incredible.”
This year’s total exceeded the previous record by £3,842.48. The funds will directly support the Thetford community, especially as the hospice faces the challenge of losing Norfolk ICB funding.
Looking ahead, Thetford Open Gardens is preparing to mark its 20th anniversary with a special ‘20 for 20’ campaign. “We never imagined we’d get this close to our milestone,” said Karen. “So next year, we’re pulling out all the stops to make it a celebration to remember!”
Next year’s events include the Open Gardens Day on Sunday 28th June and the Plant Sale in early May. If you’d like to get involved please email:
thetfordopengardens@gmail.com
To sign up your garden, use the QR code on page 13 of About Thetford Issue 235! The Annual General Meeting will be held on 20th October, 7pm in the cafe area at CBC, and all are welcome.
Read more about this year’s event here.
PARS Champions Community Spirit Through Kee Giving
Thetford-based business PARS recently donated £1,000 to St Nicholas Hospice Care in support of this year’s Thetford Open Gardens, as part of their ongoing commitment to community causes.
The donation was made through the Kee Giving community investment programme, which allows team members to apply for up to £1,000 in funding for non-profit causes, from fundraising events and sports coaching to endurance challenges and local initiatives.
The donation was made by Mike Upton, who took part in Thetford Open Gardens having opened his garden previously in 2022. “Being able to donate £1,000 to St Nicholas Hospice Care was too good an opportunity to miss,” said Mike, who enjoyed welcoming visitors with his wife Maggie.
The PARS team has embraced Kee Giving with enthusiasm, completing three charity challenges so far this year. Two were led by General Manager Liam Catchpole, who ran the Cambridge Half Marathon for Cancer Research and the Manchester Marathon for St. Ann’s Hospice.
Kee Giving is open to all PARS employees, not just office staff. The next planned event is Only the Brave 2025, a 10km mud and obstacle run in Euston, raising money for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.
Liam will be joined by David Abrahams and Lewis Jones for this challenge. An application is also underway for the Run Norwich 10km in September, supporting the Norwich City Community Sports Foundation. If approved, it will be PARS’s fifth Kee Giving initiative this year, with a goal of completing five to seven annually.
PARS began its Kee Giving journey last year, donating £1,000 to the Bury Town Disabled Football Team to support travel and equipment costs — a cause close to home, as one of the team’s players is a PARS employee.
TOG Grand Draw Winners Announced!
Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket for this year’s Thetford Open Gardens Grand Draw. Every ticket supported St Nicholas Hospice Care, and we had 38 fabulous prizes up for grabs. Our winners were drawn during our thank-you event for garden owners.
🏆 Prize Winners 🏆
Rhino Cold Frame – Lisa Woods
Kettle BBQ – Laura Lincoln
£100 Thetford Garden Centre Vouchers – Bev Elliott
£75 Cash – Chris Franklin
Four Hours of Gardening – Marian de Bass
RHS Hyde Hall Visit for 2 – Vicky Poole
Afternoon Tea at The Assembly House – Catherine
Elveden Hamper – Zie Trainor
Kew Gardens for 2 – Stacy Bannister
Mulberry Voucher – Christopher Reeve
Afternoon Tea in a Box – Ann
Haircare Hamper & Voucher – Karen Hodgkinson
£50 TGC Gift Card – Barbara Bysouth
Garden Hamper – Maggie Callaghan
Weekend Luggage Set – Ben Fisher
Sleep Easy Hamper – Mitchell Brown
Wine Hamper – Daisy Moss
Whisky Hamper – Marion Jaggard
Garden Bird Hamper – Fiona
Hurricane Lamp – Julia Carr
Prosecco Set – Molly
Talisker Single Malt – Lesley Dannett
Boiler Service – Gill Salisbury
£25 Shopping Voucher – Dian
£30 Fish & Chip Vouchers – Sarah Barnes
Champagne Hamper – Sandra
Gin Hamper – Jill
After Dinner Hamper – Angela
£20 Lunch Voucher – Bee
Breakfast for 2 – Calvin Gibson
Cava & Chocolate Hamper – Ann Jackson
Outdoor Hamper – Wendy Sweden
Leaping Hare Hamper – Kim Robinson
Lottie Shaw Hamper – Sandra Chapman
Co-op Hamper – Christine Long
Thetford Honey & Bee Experience – Atholl Munnoch
P & R Garden Centre Voucher – Lucy Claydon
John Hayes Painting – Kirsty
TOG would like to once again thank all garden owners, local businesses and ticket holders for your incredible support. See you next year!
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