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Birmingham Gardens Bloom for Hospice

April 26, 2010

Gardeners in Birmingham are being urged to show off their beautiful blooms this summer in support of the City’s only independent adult hospice. 

Birmingham St Mary’s is staging its first ever Open Gardens Scheme and is appealing to keen horticulturalists to take part to raise funds for the vital palliative care the Hospice offers to the people of the City and Sandwell. 

Without set rules to the scheme, gardens can be of any shape or size, although participants are asked to offer refreshments, set up a plant stall or give gardening talks in order to raise more money. 

Open Gardens Scheme and Hospice Community Fundraiser Jo Proudler is looking forward to what is set to be a colourful event. 

“We’re a nation of gardeners and the people of Birmingham are no exception,” she said. “And as a charity which is firmly in the heart of that community we would like to celebrate some of the stunning floral creations of our neighbours - and raise some money for a very good cause at the same time. 

“Additionally, because this is a new event, participants really do have the freedom to shape it as they wish, in accordance with your garden’s unique appeal.  

“Perhaps you have an eye-catching bed of wild flowers you’d like to show off or a well thought-out rockery. Or, it could be that you do a particularly delicious Victoria sponge cake that would go down well with visitors: it really is up to you how you make it a success.” 

Several gardens have already signed up for Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice Open Gardens Scheme, which is to take place in July, August and early September. 

Jo added: “In order to make it as convenient as possible for would-be participants, we are offering a long list of dates for people to open their gardens to the public. We plan to run the scheme over a number of weekends.” 

The Open Gardens Scheme will run on every weekend from Sat, July 3, through to Sun, Sept 12, excluding August Bank Holiday weekend. 

Since its launch in 1979, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice has cared for tens of thousands of people with life-limiting illnesses.  

And with more than 50 percent of the Hospice’s budget reliant on public goodwill, community fundraising is crucial to ensuring its highly specialised services can continue to be offered to the people of Birmingham and Sandwell. 

In addition to a 25-bed Inpatient unit, Birmingham St Mary’s boasts a 20-place Day Hospice and provides community care to people who wish to stay in their own homes. The Hospice, whose running costs stand at more than £5.7 million per year, also supports relatives with bereavement preparation, physiotherapy tuition and counselling in addition to many other services.  

Its nurses, often referred to by patients and relatives as ‘angels’, are renowned for going that extra mile to ensure people with terminal illnesses enjoy the best possible quality of life. 

To register for Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice Open Gardens Scheme 2010 please contact Joanne Proudler on 0121 4721191 or email: joanne.proudler@bsmh.org.uk.