Perennial party raises £10,000 plus for HortAid
Party for Perennial, which took place on Thursday 18 January at O’Neills in Central London, raised £10,000 on the night and ensured the charity’s annual fundraising campaign, HortAid, is off to a flying start.
Over 150 people from across the horticulture industry enjoyed a lively evening of networking and celebration with a fantastic selection of raffle prizes and the announcement of Perennial’s fundraising Champions 2017. Money raised on the night will keep one of Perennial’s 13 caseworkers on the road for just over 10 weeks, safeguarding the tailored one-to-one support the charity gives people in need.
Peter Newman, Perennial Chief Executive, said: “Perennial exists to help and support anyone working in or retired from horticulture. In short, we help change lives and with the continued support of everyone who attends our annual Party, who pledges their support, who opens their gardens, who joins us as Partners, we’re changing more lives for the better every year. £10,800 gives us a healthy start to our 2018 fundraising but we have ambitious targets this year and are looking forward to following up on some of the conversations we had on the night and the many pledges of support we received.”
Among the pledges received on the night is a commitment from Richard Curle and his team at Landscape Associates to take part in the Perennial Nuts Challenge in September. Richard is an established Perennial supporter, having previously taken part in the epic Three Peakers Ride Again Challenge in 2016, which raised over £40,000 for Perennial. He said:
“Regularly supporting Perennial makes total sense for us here at Landscape Associates. We give all our new starters information about the services Perennial offers all those working in the industry and we give a little back each year by fundraising and supporting the charity’s events. The Nuts Challenge promises to be just that – we’re used to getting our hands dirty but this is taking it to a whole new level!”
For the first time, Perennial’s fundraising programme includes two overseas challenge events in 2018. Perennial’s Director of Marketing & Fundraising, Anita Bates, and Senior Development Manager, Laura Garnett, are walking the Great Wall in China in September and aim to raise £6,000. (You can sponsor them here.) Also on offer this year is the Andalusian cycling adventure in October. Both events have room for further participants so please get in touch if you’d like to take part.
Gabriel Ash, leading greenhouse designer and manufacturer, has been confirmed as headline sponsor for the Perennial Nuts Challenge event, which takes place on Sunday 30th September near Dorking in Surrey. Teams from across the horticulture industry will compete against each other to tackle one of the muddiest obstacle courses in the UK.
The Party for Perennial was made possible thanks to event sponsors, in particular headline sponsor London Stone. In addition to his sponsorship of the event, Steven Walley, Managing Director of London Stone, also bid £1,000 on the night to secure two tickets to see Real Madrid play at home and a chance to walk on the hallowed turf of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium with Grounds Manager Paul Burgess. Steven said:
“This is great event for us and one we look forward to each year. It’s a chance to network in a relaxed environment and we see it as an important part of our support of Perennial each year. It’s a bonus that I’ve walked away with two Real Madrid tickets this year – seeing the dream team play at home on one of the most impressive pitches in the world is one for me to tick off the bucket list this year.”
Other Party for Perennial sponsors were the HTA, the Landscape Show, Bulrush Horticulture and Bulldog Tools. Horticulture Week provided essential promotional support as media partner.