Tag Archive for: charity

Subaru Donates ‘Subaru Cocoon’ Garden to charity

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Subaru Donates ‘Subaru Cocoon’ Garden to charity: Subaru UK & Ireland has partnered with Horatio’s Garden, the charity which creates and expertly staffs extraordinary gardens at NHS spinal injury rehabilitation centres across the UK.

Through the partnership, Subaru UK & Ireland has donated its award-winning ‘Subaru Cocoon’ show garden, which captivated judges and visitors alike at the most recent RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, for installation at a spinal injury rehabilitation centre at Horatio’s Garden South West at Salisbury District Hospital. The formal announcement coincided with the International Day of Forests, which is celebrated annually to raise awareness about the importance of all types of forests and trees.

Subaru Donates ‘Subaru Cocoon’ Garden to charity

Subaru Donates ‘Subaru Cocoon’ Garden to charity

The garden, originally conceived to draw attention to the crisis faced by the UK’s rapidly shrinking temperate rainforest, has been sensitively adapted and repurposed to provide pleasure and a place of calm and comfort to people with spinal injuries, their families and hospital staff.

Lorraine Bishton, Managing Director at Subaru UK & Ireland, said: “From the outset, the Subaru Cocoon Garden was designed to be more than a one-off show garden; it was meant to spark debate and draw attention to an element of the natural world in need of careful preservation: our rapidly shrinking temperate rainforests. We also wanted it to live on after the show, and now, through our partnership with Horatio’s Garden, it will.

“Horatio’s Garden does extraordinary work providing spaces of genuine sanctuary and healing for people facing life-changing spinal injuries – and the loved ones who support them. Partnering with them and ensuring the garden – and its vital conservation message – would continue to thrive under their custodianship.”

Horatio’s Garden creates and expertly staffs beautiful, vibrant gardens outside the clinical starkness of NHS spinal injury centres. The gardens offer space for reflection and adjustment, privacy and solace, and moments of joy and companionship for everyone who needs them. Evidence consistently shows that access to these gardens improves mental and physical well-being, reduces pain, and supports long-term recovery for people navigating life-changing spinal injuries.

Katie Tait, CEO of Horatio’s Garden said: “A spinal injury can be a devastating blow, with many people facing months of rehabilitation and an increased risk of anxiety and depression. That’s why we are absolutely delighted that this award winning garden is being brought to life within Horatio’s Garden South West and thoughtfully adapted for people using wheelchairs or hospital beds. We are deeply grateful to Subaru for its extraordinary support and for recognising how a calming, immersive space just moments from the hospital ward can make such a transformative difference.”

Background on The Subaru Cocoon Garden

The Subaru Cocoon Garden was conceived to highlight one of the UK’s most pressing, overlooked environmental crises: the near-extinction of Britain’s temperate rainforests. Once spanning 20% of the UK and Ireland, these rich, biodiverse ecosystems have dwindled to less than 1% of their former size. The temperate rainforest is among the most threatened habitats in the UK.
Created by Subaru UK & Ireland in collaboration with the Mike McMahon Studio, the Cocoon Garden evokes the quiet majesty of the rainforest, drawing visitors into a calming environment of texture, shadow and native planting.

Before being installed in its new home, the Subaru Cocoon has been thoughtfully modified to ensure it is fully accessible and welcoming to all those who will benefit from it. Adaptations have been made with the specific needs of Horatio’s Garden patients in mind, including those using wheelchairs or requiring bed access, ensuring that the garden’s restorative qualities can be enjoyed by everyone who visits.

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Greenfingers Charity builds on a year of completed gardens

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Greenfingers Charity builds on a year of completed gardens: The Greenfingers Charity is preparing for a significant year ahead, announcing further details of its hospice garden programme for 2026, following the completion of five new therapeutic gardens across the UK in 2025.

Gardens completed in 2025

During 2025, Greenfingers opened five new bespoke hospice gardens, each carefully designed to support children with life-limiting conditions, their families and the professionals who care for them. New gardens were completed at The Nook (East Anglia), Chestnut Tree House (Arundel), Hope House (Shropshire), Acorns (Walsall) and Bluebell Wood (Sheffield).

Greenfingers Charity builds on a year of completed gardens

Greenfingers Charity builds on a year of completed gardens

These gardens are already being used as vital outdoor environments where children can experience nature safely, feeling fresh air, colour, texture and seasonal change, often for those whose medical needs limit their access to the outdoors. For families, the gardens provide rare opportunities to be together away from clinical spaces, while hospice staff benefit from restorative areas that support wellbeing.

New Greenfingers gardens planned for 2026

Building on this momentum, Greenfingers is now progressing three new garden projects for 2026. Each will be delivered as a bespoke, highly specialist space, shaped around the specific needs of its hospice community.

Naomi House and Jack’s Place, Winchester

The new garden planned for Naomi House and Jack’s Place will be Greenfingers’ 75th garden, marking an important milestone in the charity’s work across the UK. Designed by Helen Elks Smith, with early design stages already underway, the project will transform existing lawned areas into a welcoming, inclusive outdoor space for children, siblings, parents and hospice staff alike. Carefully shaped to support both play and quiet reflection, the garden will give families a place to step outside together, to breathe, connect and create precious memories away from the pressures of indoor care.

This garden will also be the focus of Greenfingers’ 2026 Kilimanjaro fundraising challenge, with trekkers taking on the climb to help fund the creation of this very space. Their efforts will play a direct role in bringing this garden to life, turning extraordinary personal challenges into a lasting legacy for the children and families who will use it for years to come.

Little Havens, Essex

The 2026 project at Little Havens will see Greenfingers return to the hospice to deliver a major refresh and redevelopment of the existing Grow Your Own garden. The new design will focus on improving accessibility and sensory engagement, enabling children with complex needs to interact safely with planting, textures and the natural environment. Designed to support everyday hospice life, the garden will provide space for play, therapy and rest, while offering families precious opportunities to spend time outdoors together in a setting that feels calm, supportive and human.

Haven House, Woodford Green

At Haven House, Greenfingers will deliver a thoughtfully designed memorial and reflection garden within the hospice grounds. The project will be delivered by Baylis Landscapes, with the space carefully shaped to provide families with a calm, dignified outdoor environment where they can pause, reflect and remember. A central feature of the garden will be a Corten steel memorial tree, supplied by Caltef Designs, alongside screened seating, connected pathways and sensitive planting. Together, these elements will create a space that offers privacy, comfort and a sense of peace, supporting families through some of the most emotionally challenging moments of their lives.

Neil Sewell, Operations Director at Greenfingers, said: “Every unique Greenfingers garden starts with listening to the hospice teams, to families, and to what children need most in that moment. These are not decorative spaces; they are places where children can experience fresh air, colour and a sense of freedom, sometimes for the only time. As we move into 2026, we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve delivered so far, and deeply aware of how vital continued support is to help us create more of these life-changing gardens.”

Looking ahead – creating gardens that change lives

As Greenfingers looks towards 2026, its focus is firmly on turning ambition into action – creating highly specialist hospice gardens that meet complex needs and change daily life for children and families. These spaces take months of careful design, sensitive construction and long-term commitment to deliver, and they simply cannot happen without continued fundraising and support. Every penny raised plays a vital role, helping to transform bare or underused spaces into safe, welcoming gardens where children can experience the outdoors, families can spend precious time together, and memories can be made when they matter most.

To find out more about the Greenfingers Charity, discover how to support its work, or get involved through fundraising, partnerships or volunteering, visit www.greenfingerscharity.org.uk.

You can also follow the charity’s latest updates on Instagram and LinkedIn @GreenfingersCharity, Facebook facebook.com/Greenfingerscharity, and X @GreenfingersCha.

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Green-tech names Prostate Cancer UK as its chosen charity for 2026

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Green-tech names Prostate Cancer UK as its chosen charity for 2026: Green-tech, the UK’s leading supplier of landscaping materials, has announced that Prostate Cancer UK is its chosen charity of the year for 2026.

Green-tech is committed to supporting meaningful causes and giving back to the communities it serves. Each year, a member of the Green-tech team nominates a charity for the business to support through fundraising and awareness activities.

Green-tech names Prostate Cancer UK as its chosen charity for 2026

Green-tech names Prostate Cancer UK as its chosen charity for 2026

For 2026, the chosen charity has been nominated by Roger Aimes-King, Account Manager in the John Chambers Wildflower Seed team. Roger selected Prostate Cancer UK, a charity dedicated to stopping prostate cancer from becoming a life-changing or life-limiting disease for men and their families.

Prostate Cancer UK funds world-class research, provides specialist support services and campaigns for improved diagnosis and treatment. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, and the charity plays a vital role in raising awareness, encouraging early detection and supporting those affected at every stage of the disease.

The nomination has personal significance for Roger, who lost his father to prostate cancer 22 years ago. He comments, “This is a cause that is extremely close to my heart. Losing my father to prostate cancer had a profound impact on my family, and it is a disease that affects so many men today. By supporting Prostate Cancer UK, I hope we can help raise awareness, fund vital research and support other families facing similar challenges.”

The Green-tech team aims to raise over £1000 during 2026 through various fundraising events and initiatives. The announcement follows a successful 2025 fundraising year, during which the Green-tech team raised much-needed funds for St Leonard’s Hospice in North Yorkshire.

To find out more about Prostate Cancer UK, visit their website at https://prostatecanceruk.org/ or to make a donation, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/green-tech-prostate-cancer-uk

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John Deere names FCN as charity partner for 2026

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John Deere names FCN as charity partner for 2026: The UK and Ireland branch of John Deere has announced that The Farming Community Network (FCN) will be its official charity partner for 2026.

The commitment will see John Deere staff receive specialist wellbeing support training from FCN, as well as opening the door to a range of volunteering opportunities.

John Deere names FCN as charity partner for 2026

John Deere names FCN as charity partner for 2026

Thousands of pounds will also be raised through fundraising initiatives to help FCN further its reach and impact across the rural community.

“We all have a responsibility to safeguard the health and wellbeing of those living and working in rural areas,” says Joedy Ibbotson, Division Business Manager at John Deere.

“FCN is a charity that does incredible work in this area. Its outreach touches our staff, our network, our customers, and throughout the communities we operate in. It is a great fit for us and the partnership is something that really resonates with our team.”

John Deere employees have a strong track record of fundraising for good causes, both national and local.

Previous efforts include tackling the Peak District Ultra Challenge in aid of Cancer Research UK, raising more than £13,000. Staff are encouraged to come forward with their own ideas for volunteering and fundraising, with the company pledging to support these initiatives.

The FCN partnership was announced at an all-employee meeting at John Deere’s Langar headquarters in Nottinghamshire.

Georgina Lamb, Head of Partnerships with FCN, said: “We are delighted to partner with such a well-respected company as John Deere, which as well as providing vital funds for the charity has given us the platform to promote our work to the wider agricultural community. We look forward to working with the team in the coming months.”

As part of the event, staff were trained by FCN with a bespoke course in wellbeing support for the agricultural community.

Joedy added that the organisation was particularly keen to add its reach to the charity’s Nip it in the Bud campaign, which is part of the UK-wide Rural Communities Cancer Project between FCN and Macmillan Cancer Support.

The focus of the campaign is on early detection of cancer and making time to see the GP if someone notices a change in their health.

“Farmers and their families are so busy that health concerns can often get pushed to the bottom of the to-do list,” he said. “Rural communities often also have lower access to cancer services and support due to living in more isolated areas.

“However, early diagnosis is essential, so John Deere is keen to encourage people to be more familiar with the early signs of cancer, and to take the necessary steps to get checked and nip it in the bud.

“FCN plays a crucial role in supporting the farming community through difficult periods and times of change, and we’re proud to be standing alongside them this year.”

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Green-tech surpasses its charity target for St Leonard’s Hospice

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Green-tech surpasses its charity target for St Leonard’s Hospice: Green‑tech is delighted with the success of its 2025 charity fundraising campaign for St Leonard’s Hospice, York. Their efforts have raised over £1,600.

Green‑tech is the UK’s leading landscape provider, supplying products that help create greener, more resilient and biodiverse spaces across urban and rural environments. Alongside this work, supporting the local community is central to the company’s ethos.

Green-tech surpasses its charity target for St Leonard’s Hospice

Green-tech surpasses its charity target for St Leonard’s Hospice

St Leonard’s Hospice provides specialist palliative care and support for patients and families across York and the surrounding areas, both in the hospice and in people’s own homes.

The Green-tech team set itself a £1,000 fundraising target for the year and has come together through raffles, food events and a variety of activities. These initiatives have raised vital funds for a cause that touches many lives.

“As a business rooted in Yorkshire, we understand the importance of giving back,” said Kris Nellist, Managing Director of Green‑tech. “I am so proud of the way our team has thrown themselves into this fundraiser. Every donation, raffle ticket and shared meal helps bring comfort and care to people at a difficult time. It is great to see Green-tech making a real difference for families in our community.”

Green‑tech would like to thank everyone who has taken part and donated. The team is delighted to be finishing the year exceeding its fundraising target.

For more information or to support the hospice, visit the Green‑tech fundraising page on JustGiving: justgiving.com/page/green-tech-stleonardshospiceyork

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