Tag Archive for: Fundraising

Join the horticultural community for an afternoon of fun and fundraising

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Join the horticultural community for an afternoon of fun and fundraising: Perennial is once again bringing the horticultural community together to celebrate our supporter’s efforts and to ask you all to dig deep to raise vital funds for your industry charity.

From arborists, foresters and tree surgeons to gardeners, growers, landscapers, garden centre employees and nursery staff to greenkeepers and grounds staff the aim is to raise funds to support you and your family’s future.

Join the horticultural community for an afternoon of fun and fundraising

Join the horticultural community for an afternoon of fun and fundraising

With one million people working in or retired from horticulture across the UK, Perennial’s services are in considerable demand. The shared goal at this event is for everyone to raise essential funds so Perennial’s services can continue to provide a lifeline to those who dedicated their lives to growing and caring for the green spaces that enrich our lives.

Whether you’ve already held your own fundraising activity, or you are planning to this year, we encourage you to celebrate your efforts and network together with other like-minded supporters at Perennial’s fundraising lunch.

Join colleagues, fundraisers and supporters and feel proud of your good deeds on Friday 10 October from midday to 4:30pm (…feel free to cheer yourselves on into the evening!) at The Cumberland, London. The ticket price of £145 per person includes a glass of “cheers to you” fizz on arrival and a celebratory three-course meal with wine, plus a heartfelt “thank you” from Perennial President Alan Titchmarsh CBE VMH.

This year’s event will be hosted by award-winning garden designer and TV gardener Manoj Malde, who will be joined by professional gardener and radio personality, guest speaker, Matthew Biggs. We will once again be celebrating the efforts of those who have gone above and beyond for Perennial with our Silver Shovel Spotlight Awards and of course asking you to dig deep during the envelope raffle and in our live auction led by The Charity Auctioneer, Mark Head. This year’s auction includes some old favourites and exciting new lots such as a day’s consultancy with horticultural business consultant Neville Stein, an Exclusive Hotel Group package, a Wembley Stadium Hospitality package and many more. The Plantman & Co. are supporting the event once again by supplying fabulous floral table centrepieces.

Jamie Gault, Perennial’s Chief Executive comments: “Every year, our supporters dig deep, taking on challenges, hosting events, opening their gardens and much more to raise funds. People should feel so proud of their fundraising efforts which help Perennial deliver our vision to build better futures for people in horticulture and their families. Our fundraising lunch and awards recognise all their wholehearted contributions and commitments and keeps up the momentum by raising even more funds. Let’s come together as a community for this fundraising lunch, which will go towards helping people during the winter period and beyond. Tickets are on sale now, so please put the date (10thOctober) in your diary, dig deep all year and join us!”

Every time Perennial’s supporters dig deep, they make a real difference to the lives of people in horticulture and their families. There are lots of reasons why people turn to the charity, such as bereavement, the impact of an accident, health issues or a family breakdown. As the only UK charity helping everyone working in or retired from horticulture and their families, Perennial relies on support from the industry.

This is the event of the year to get together with friends and colleagues for a lively afternoon of anticipation, bidding banter and networking, all in support of your community.

Book your spot at perennial.org.uk/lunch – book a table of 10 and get the 10th place free!

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Tartan tractor scrums down for fundraising

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Tartan tractor scrums down for fundraising: A unique JCB tartan tractor has rolled off the production line at Staffordshire’s JCB Landpower factory honouring Scottish rugby legend and motor neuron disease (MND) campaigner Doddie Weir.

The Fastrac 4220 iCON wrapped in Doddie’s own design tartan livery was welcomed off the Cheadle production line by son Angus Weir, ready to report for fundraising duty with the ‘My Name’5 Doddie Foundation’.

Tartan tractor scrums down for fundraising

Tartan tractor scrums down for fundraising

Scottish and British and Irish Lions international, Doddie, who died of MND, aged 52, in 2022, founded the charity to fund research with the vision of ‘A world free of MND’. So far, more than £11 million has been committed to vital research in his name and the Foundation is dedicated to continuing the fight against the cruel disease.

The Doddie iCON Fastrac is the brainchild of Doddie’s schoolfriend and Director of Crop Services in the Scottish Borders, Douglas Stephen, who joined Angus for the unveiling. Douglas operates a number of Fastrac tractors, and approached his JCB Dealer, Kelso-based Scot Agri to build a special edition machine in support of the Foundation.

The blue and yellow tartan tractor will make starring appearances at major agricultural shows and rugby games north of the border over the coming months raising funds for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation. The grand tour will begin at the Royal Northern Spring Show, Inverurie on February 28th before moving on to the Fife, Northumberland, Royal Highland, Border Union,  Perth Shows and many other agricultural events over the summer.

Angus Weir said: “It has been fantastic to be here to unveil the new Doddie tartan tractor.  Dad would have absolutely loved it and I’m sure it will turn a lot of heads, raise a lot of smiles, and help continue his fundraising legacy.”

For Douglas Stephen it was an emotional day. He added: “Our Doddie was born into a farming family, was part of the farming community and loved tractors. He was also always accustomed to wearing big, bright, garish tartan suits, so this is right up his street. What JCB has done is beyond all expectations and they have really pulled out all the stops. Doddie was a great friend who is sorely missed and this will help us to keep his memory and MND legacy alive.”

My Name’5 Doddie Foundation Director of Fundraising and Communications, Paul Thompson added: “We are incredibly excited about this collaboration with JCB and expect it to raise a great deal of awareness of both motor neuron disease and My Name’5 Doddie Foundation. The Fastrac looks brilliant, and we can’t wait to see the look on people’s faces when nine tonnes of tartan tractor arrive at one of our events.

“When the tractor was unveiled, it was a real lump in the throat moment. Doddie was a farmer and loved his tractors, so we know that this collaboration would have meant a lot to him.”

JCB Territory Manager Sam Taylor said: “For JCB it is an honour to support the incredible work of the ‘My Names’5 Doddie Foundation’. Doddie Weir was an icon, not only in the way that he played his rugby, but also in the way he handled his MND diagnosis, setting an example of bravery, and inspiring others to take up the fight.

“The JCB Doddie iCON Edition Fastrac is a great example of teamwork – bringing together an amazing charity, a valued JCB customer, our brilliant dealer network, designers, and production team. We hope it will raise greater awareness of the condition and fund more groundbreaking research to find a cure for MND.”

Anyone interested in supporting the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation can donate at https://justgiving.com/page/doddietheicon

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Former groundsman nears fundraising target

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Former groundsman nears fundraising target: Former AFC Bournemouth groundsman Andy Press is closing in on his fundraising goal after completing his challenge walk.

Read the full article from Bournemouth Echo here

Former groundsman nears fundraising target

Former groundsman nears fundraising target

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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Jensen Support Fundraising Initiative

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Jensen Support Fundraising Initiative: For the second consecutive year Jensen woodchippers have offered their support to a charity Christmas tree collection run by Dorothy House Hospice Care which has raised over £26,000 this Christmas, and £40,000 over the two years Jensen have been involved.

Once again Dorothy House and Wiltshire College & University Centre have joined forces for a Christmas tree collection and recycling scheme, with volunteers collecting more than 2,300 trees from across the region and delivering 300 of them to the college’s Lackham campus for chipping and recycling with support from Jensen.

Jensen Support Fundraising Initiative

Local hospice Dorothy House provides compassionate end of life care and support for patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families and carers in Bath and North East Somerset, Wiltshire and Somerset.

The Wiltshire College & University Centre Lackham site is a dedicated landbased campus providing qualifications in subjects such as agriculture, land and wildlife management and horticulture. Jensen are the original manufacturer of woodchippers, built in Germany since 1884 and distributed in the UK by the Machinery Imports division of the T H WHITE Group, whose head office is based in Devizes, Wiltshire.

Jensen UK Business Manager, Bill Johnston, was delighted to spend the day at the Lackham campus with students from the Horticulture and Countryside Management departments, teaching them skills in the safe use of woodchippers and sharing his wealth of industry knowledge about the arboricultural sector and the Jensen woodchipper brand.

“We’re delighted to offer our support for this fantastic fundraising initiative in partnership with Dorothy House and Wiltshire College & University Centre once again” says Bill.

“Not only are we assisting Dorothy House in their esteemed efforts to recycle the trees but giving Lackham students valuable experience with the woodchippers and guaranteeing that the trees don’t go to waste, so everybody wins.”

On hand to reduce all 300 trees was the Jensen A540 woodchipper, which with its powerful feed roller grip, wide hopper and 8-inch chipping capacity made light work of even the bulkiest trees.

Bill also brought along the best-selling A530 towed woodchipper to show the students, which at sub-750kg and with a 6” capacity proves consistently popular with arborists across the UK.

Phil Nicholls, Gardener at Lackham, said: “We’ve filled almost two trailers with chippings now, all of which will be reused around the Lackham site. This is a great opportunity to support the Dorothy House charity, teach the students something new and ensure that all of these trees have a chance to be recycled where they may have otherwise ended up in landfill”.

Verity Clark, Community Fundraiser for Dorothy House Hospice Care said: “This was our third Christmas tree collection and we’re glad to have helped local people recycle over 2,360 used Christmas trees while also raising £26,000 of vital funds for Dorothy House. A big thank you to all our volunteers and supporters for their generous help and thanks also to all involved in recycling and chipping our trees at Wiltshire College Lackham.”

For more information on the range of quality Jensen woodchippers and to book your own free, no-obligation demonstration, visit www.jensenwoodchippers.co.uk

Find out more about Dorothy House Hospice Care at www.dorothyhouse.org.uk, and more on the courses available at Lackham at www.wiltshire.ac.uk.

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