Lord Lieutenant launches new initiative for Thrive
30/03/2010
Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire Mary Bayliss will launch Thrive’s Plant a Difference campaign at the horticultural charity's food and plant festival, a great free event running at Thrive’s Trunkwell Garden Project at 11am on Saturday 10th April.
The Plant a Difference campaign is an initiative run by Reading-based charity Thrive to raise funds for and awareness of its work with disabled people, using gardening to help improve physical and psychological health.
People around the country are asked to help a disabled gardener by swapping plants or produce between April and September 2010 and making a donation for each swap. Visitors are invited to participate in the plant swap.
Money raised will be used to send boxes worth £35 full of ready-to-plant vegetables, herbs or perennials, directly to the door of a disabled person to help them discover the benefits of gardening for themselves.
The food and plant festival will feature a wide array of locally produced food for sale, including jams and preserves, cheeses, breads and vegetables. Gardening enthusiasts will appreciate the variety of plants and shrubs on sale from local nurseries and specialist growers as well as beautiful garden accessories. Homemade cakes and refreshments will be served throughout the day while live music will add to the festival atmosphere..
The younger members of the community will also be catered for with a range of activities including a bouncy castle, face painting and children’s corner.
Further information about the plant swap including a plant swap support pack is available by calling 0118 988 5688 or visiting www.thrive.org.uk.
ENDS
For more information about this release please contact:
Emma Hall on 07956 307 382 or email her on emma@thesmallbusinessconsultancy.com
Or contact:
Thrive, The Geoffrey Udall Centre, Beech Hill, Reading RG7 2AAT.
T. 0118 988 5688.
email: info@thrive.org.uk.
Websites: www.thrive.org.uk and www.carryongardening.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
• Thrive is a small national charity which enables those touched by a disability to transform their lives through gardening. Thrive uses gardening to help improve the quality of life for those with dementia and mental health issues, rebuild people’s lives after strokes, accidents or a heart attack and helps people to carry on gardening as they get older.
• With a vision to enable those touched by a disability to transform their lives using gardening, activities are focussed on championing the benefits of gardening to individuals and organisations, as well as teaching techniques and practical applications so that anyone with a disability can enjoy gardening.
Thrive is a registered charity no. 277570
If you would like to attend any of these events or would like images of Thrive’s garden at Beech Hill, please contact Emma Hall.
Other Plant Swap events coming up include:
6 May - West Green House 'Garden Room style’ experience.
11-4pm. Not usually open to the public including a talk by world famous garden designer Marylyn Abbot.
West Green House, Thackham’s Lane, Hartley Whitney, R27 8JB
10 June - Celebrating England - 11-4pm. With private tours of the library set in the home of Jane Austen’s brother Chawton House Library, Chawton, Alton, Hampshire, GU24 1SJ
18-25 July - NGS Open Gardens – 2.00-4.30pm
Thrive, Beech Hill, Reading RG7 2AT
4 September - Thrive’s Festival of Harvest – 11-4pm
Thrive, Beech Hill, Reading RG7 2AT