The ever popular Thetford Open Gardens day is set to return this year on Sunday
23 rd June. Following on from the success of 2023, which raised an incredible
£12,571.81 for St Nicholas Hospice Care, which provides end-of-life support for
people and their families in Thetford and West Suffolk. The team behind the event
are getting ready to welcome hundreds of visitors again to a wide range of diverse
and stunning gardens.
This year, the team have twenty-nine gardens signed across the town which includes
eight gardens that are opening for the first time this year – so a big welcome to
Thetford Open Gardens 2024! And for the first time a twilight pop up garden is
planned for mid-July. The gardens come in all shapes and sizes, from a Tudor style
courtyard to a garden with a mock Greek taverna. Discover hidden gems, feast your
eyes on rambling roses, clambering clematis and prolific perennials in a riot of
colour. Enjoy light refreshments or lunch in the gardens, as well as plants for sale in
several gardens.
Lead organiser Karen-Emma White said, “We’re a small group of people who come
together to fundraise for the Hospice. The event is now one of the largest Open
Garden Events in the county and showcases Thetford as a great place to live. We try
to group a collection together, so visitors can easily move between three or four
gardens at a time.”
Thetford Open Gardens 2024 is dedicated to Chris Wallis, who joined the team in
2022 as the Treasurer and tragically passed away last summer. Although he was
only involved for a short time, his impact was huge, and Chris is greatly missed by
the team. A Rosa Ragosa, a rose that Chris grew in his own garden, will be planted
in the St Nicholas Hospice Garden in the early summer in his memory.
To kickstart the fundraising for 2024, Thetford Open Gardens held a Quiz Night on
Sunday 24 th March at The Norfolk Terrier, kick starting this year’s campaign with over
£500 with some amazing prizes that were generously donated by local businesses.
Thetford Open Gardens will take place on Sunday 23rd June. Admission is £7 per
person, Under 12’s go free with an accompanying adult. Tickets go on sale at the
beginning of May and will be available from Leaping Hare, King Street, Thetford,
Thetford Garden Centre, Kilverstone and online at www.leapinghare.org
Thetford Open Gardens started in 2006 with a small group of ladies who were keen
gardeners and wanted to raise money for St Nicholas Hospice. In the years since the
event and team has grown substantially and regularly raises over £12,000 each year.
Supported by local businesses, 100% of everything raised is donated to St Nicholas
Hospice Care. Lawsons Estate Agents and Thetford Garden Centre have been the
main event sponsors since the first event 18 years ago.
In 2020 the team managed to raise over £6,000 despite the lockdown and their plant
sale is now firmly established as part of the annual fundraising. The following year
they held two open garden days with limited tickets to make the event covid secure.
In 2023 the event returned to its original format.
One of the gardens is being opened in memory of Mark Oatridge who was cared for
at St Nicholas Hospice Care during Autumn 2023. His wife Alison wants to support
the hospice and use the event as part of her grieving process.
St Nicholas Hospice Care is currently marking its 40th year of supporting people
across West Suffolk and Thetford who are facing end of life care, death and grief.
Since its founding on 24 August 1983, St Nicholas Hospice Care has supported
thousands of local people. They care not just for patients but also for their loved
ones, offering everything from specialist medical and bereavement care to practical
help. It costs around £8m to run the Hospice each year. That’s equivalent to £22,000
per day. St Nicholas Hospice Care receives some statutory funding, which covers
around 20% of their costs. But they still need to generate a further £17,500 of
income per day to be there for those who need them.
