Garden festival plants vital funds into kid's charity

SCOTLAND'S national gardening and outdoor living festival has given a children's charity a major financial boost.
Martin Dare and Annie Wheeler of Gardening Scotland and Brooke OConnell, NSPCC Scotlands Gifts in Wills fundraiserMartin Dare and Annie Wheeler of Gardening Scotland and Brooke OConnell, NSPCC Scotlands Gifts in Wills fundraiser
Martin Dare and Annie Wheeler of Gardening Scotland and Brooke OConnell, NSPCC Scotlands Gifts in Wills fundraiser

Gardening Scotland has welcomed NSPCC Scotland as its new charity partner, pledging £1 to the charity from every ticket sold.
The premier gardening event, which takes place in June at the Royal Highland Showground, Ingliston, will raise awareness of NSPCC Scotland’s crucial work supporting vulnerable children.
In honour of the new partnership, Gardening Scotland and NSPCC Scotland are organising lots of fun activities such as face-painting, games and prizes.
Martin Dare, Gardening Scotland show organiser, said: “Gardening Scotland has a proud record of charitable affiliation and we are honoured to assist NSPCC Scotland in its vital work to support vulnerable children who have been abused, to protect those who are at risk and stop child abuse from happening in the first place.
“Gardening is a great refuge and source of comfort for people – whatever their age – recovering from trauma, and there are obvious benefits for children in exploring gardening and green spaces.  
“Each year we welcome thousands of children to the show, in school parties and with their families and friends; they always flock to the Big Back Garden, with its fantastic play and grow-your-own areas, beekeeping, woodland and bushcraft displays. It’s always highly gratifying to see how much fun they have at Gardening Scotland and how much they learn about the great outdoors.”

Zoe Strong, NSPCC Scotland corporate fundraiser, said: “I’m delighted that Gardening Scotland has adopted NSPCC Scotland as a charity partner.

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“We want to encourage visitors to register as volunteers and raise funds to continue the fight for every childhood.

“The chance to promote our PANTS campaign is especially worthwhile. It is one of the most difficult subjects for parents to broach with their children and for children to open up about unprompted, but the campaign cleverly helps parents, carers, guardians and teachers talk about it in an unthreatening way.”

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NSPCC Scotland made its mark at Gardening Scotland in 2014 with an award-winning garden designed by Scotland’s Rural College.

They were also inspired by NSPCC’s highly successful PANTS campaign which teaches parents a simple way that they can help keep children safe by letting them know their body belongs to them, and no one else.

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