Award-winning garden centre Coolings is supporting Demelza as its charity of the year.
The two-year partnership is expected to raise a minimum of £40,000 and will support the charity’s extraordinary care for extraordinary children across Kent, East Sussex and South East London, providing creative therapies and short breaks, to practical and emotional support for families and siblings, and care towards the end of life.
Demelza’s specialist nursing and care teams provide expert clinical care for children who are facing serious or life-limiting conditions like two-year-old Esme and her family. Esme from Maidstone was just 17 months old when she was diagnosed with Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA); a rare, degenerative condition that makes the muscles weaker.
“When we were referred to Demelza we didn’t know what to expect, and we were a little apprehensive as – to our minds – a hospice only offers end of life care,” said Emma, Esme’s mum. “Thankfully, they really opened our eyes to the kind of support that’s available to families of children facing serious or life-limiting conditions.
“That’s why this partnership with Coolings is so valuable to charities like Demelza,” said Emma, “in order for them to continue delivering support, resources, activities, and care to families like ours.”
For both organisations, family means everything. So, for every swipe of a Coolings Family Card, Coolings are donating 10p to Demelza.
Petra Bones, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Demelza, said: “We are delighted that Coolings has selected Demelza as its charity of choice for 2023/24.
“This year we are marking our 25th Anniversary and this wouldn’t have been possible without the loyalty and generosity of our donors, supporters and corporate partners like Coolings. We are very excited about sharing our great work with Coolings staff and customers.”
The independent garden centre was started over 100 years ago by the Coolings family and over 65% of its plants are homegrown at its on-site nursery at Coolings, Rushmore Hill in Knockholt. It also has three other sites in Knockholt, Forest Row and Bearsted.
Customers can also support the charity partnership by purchasing the specially named ‘Demelza Smiles’ bedding plant which will be on sale this spring.
Ian Hazon, Production and Operations Director at Coolings, said: “It is great to be working with and supporting Demelza. Like other hospices a lot of their work goes unrecognised, but their support is invaluable to the families that really do depend on them. They make such a difference to people’s lives and helping raise the much-needed funds will allow them to help even more.”
Coolings are also promoting Demelza with their annual ‘In Bloom’ competition. Householders and businesses can enter their gardens, pots or baskets into the competition run across several Kent boroughs.
Ian added: “Gardening need not be hard work; it is fun and brings enjoyment to many. Judges are not just looking for perfect displays, they want to see people having a go, even if you have never grown anything before.”
To find out more about Demelza and how you can support the partnership please visit coolings.co.uk/about-us/charity
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About Coolings
- Coolings is an award winning, independent Garden Centre group located in Kent and East Sussex.
- We are a family business, which was started by the Cooling family over 100 years ago.
- At Coolings, we are passionate about plants and they have remained at the core of our business. We are proud that over 65% of our plants are home grown at our extensive on-site nursery at Coolings, Rushmore Hill in Knockholt.
- We offer a comprehensive selection of plants (one of the largest in the UK), and our customers trust our plant quality and staff expertise, making us their garden centre of choice. We live by our motto that ‘The Experience is Growing’.
About Demelza Hospice Care for Children:
- Demelza delivers extraordinary care for extraordinary children who are facing serious or life-limiting conditions, throughout Kent, South East London and East Sussex. We’re here for them and their families with expert clinical, emotional and practical support at every step – from first diagnosis and for as long as we’re needed.
- Our support is as unique as every family we help, and designed to wrap around their specific requirements and circumstances: from creative therapies and short breaks, to practical and emotional support for families and siblings, and care towards the end of life.
- Our specialist nursing and care teams provide expert advice on complex symptoms and medication regimes and are here every day and every night, all year round.
- We support families wherever is best for them: in our hospice or in their homes, online, at school and in local communities. When they need us most, we’ll be there; to reassure, to guide and to care. By their side when they feel isolated, and helping to celebrate the joy in family life, making precious memories during challenging times.
- Demelza believes in care that doesn’t back down. We are Demelza.
Find out more about Demelza at www.demelza.org.uk, follow the charity on Facebook at www.facebook.com/demelzahospice, @demelzahospice on Twitter and @demelzacharity on Instagram
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