Wallingford Walled Gardens open day raises £12,500 for local charities
On the 9th June 12 walled gardens in Wallingford opened to the public to help raise money for local charities.
In its second year the open gardens attracted over 1,000 visitors who were able to explore the wonderful walled gardens in the compact area of Old Wallingford, several of which are of historical or architectural interest and one being on the River Thames.
There were plenty of things for people to see and do apart from viewing the gardens, including boat trips, browsing plant sales, enjoying wonderful homemade cakes, strawberries and cream and prosecco.
It was a fantastic event bringing the local community together and raising £12,500, all of which will be donated to local charities, with the principal charity being Style Acre. Based at Howbery Park, Crowmarsh, Wallingford Style Acre enhances the lives of people with learning disabilities and autism. Each and every person Style Acre supports is valued and helped to lead a meaningful life and realise their potential.
The other charities all based in Wallingford who will benefit include The Corn Exchange, Wallingford Museum and St Mary’s Church.
Rowland Hogg, one of the organisers said “What an amazing day. It was very rewarding for the owners of the gardens, who had worked so hard to get them ready, to see how much enjoyment was shared by the visitors. A big deserved ‘thank you’ to all the owners but also to Root One and our other sponsors who contributed so generously to a highly successful day”
Anne-Marie Hicks, Fundraising Manager at Style Acre said “It was such a wonderful community event, and we loved being part of it. The donation we receive from the open gardens will go a long way to enabling the people we support to gain the independence, skills and connections that make for a good, purposeful life filled with smiles and joy. We would like to thank everyone who helped organise the event and opened their gardens and all those that visited on the day. Not only did people get to enjoy the gardens they also supported local charities and have helped to make a big difference.”
The garden owners and organisers will look to build on the past two years’ success and discussions are already underway for 2025.