‘This will make a huge difference to the charity’
Organisers of a Devon charity fundraiser are celebrating today as they reveal a total of £42,170 is going into the coffers of local charity, Hospiscare.
The amount was raised by a series of community events organised by Otter Garden Centres in Ottery St Mary throughout the course of last year.
Part of the fundraising programme included The Festive Adventure which was held in December – and raised £27,826 towards the total.
Now in its second year, the Christmas experience gave children the chance to peek inside Mrs Claus’s kitchen, join animated reindeer singalongs, explore a snowy winter wonderland – and even enjoy a land train ride.
It saw volunteers from Hospiscare’s fundraising team fully embracing the festive spirit, dressing as elves while helping children write letters to Santa and prepare packets of reindeer food. Every penny raised went directly to Hospiscare.
A further £14,344 was generated throughout the year via a series of additional fundraisers organised by Otter’s charity team and Hospiscare volunteers.
Events included raffles, bingo and quiz nights. There were also donation buckets for customers enjoying Otter’s singing penguin Christmas animation.
Managing Director Jacqui Taylor, alongside Lara White and Lauren Pearcy from Otter Garden Centre, attended a recent ‘volunteer thank-you event’ which was held at Ottery Football Club. It’s where the final fundraising amount from Otter was unveiled.
‘This will make a huge difference to the charity’
Other activities run by the volunteer team included a fete at Cadhay, a sponsored walk, plant sale and coffee mornings.
‘The generosity of Otter and all the volunteers is awesome. This will make a huge difference to the charity,’ says Toni Hiscocks, Hospiscare Area Fundraiser for East Devon.
‘When you consider the costs we face, over £1,000 for just 24 hours of care on the ward at Searle House and £650 for a specialist mattress, alongside the vital work of our nurses, therapists and counsellors, it’s clear why fundraising is so critical.’
Otter has confirmed that its Ottery St Mary garden centre will continue to support Hospiscare as its chosen charity.
This marks the seventh consecutive year of the partnership, which has raised more than £110,000 since 2019. The commitment also means the much-loved Festive Adventure will return again this December.
‘We’ve developed a very special relationship with Hospiscare, a charity that plays an incredibly important role in our local community,’ says Jacqui Taylor, Managing Director of Otter Garden Centres in Ottery St Mary.
‘We know how challenging it is to fund these essential services, and we’re committed to continuing to support them in every way we can.’
Hospiscare provides specialist care for patients and their families living with life-limiting illnesses across Exeter, Central and East Devon.
It supports close to 2,200 people each year. With only around 20 per cent of its funding coming from the NHS, the charity must raise £10 million annually to continue delivering care across the region.
Breaktime News recently reported on Otter Garden Centres providing a garden makeover at Ottery St Mary Hospital.
