Who are Greenfingers?

Greenfingers is the charity of the horticulture industry that builds magical gardens for children’s hospices. It is dedicated to supporting children who spend time in hospices around the UK, along with their families, by creating inspiring gardens for them to relax in and benefit from.

Greenfingers gardens are magical outside spaces in hospices, where life-limited children can spend quality time outside with their families, friends and carers in a safe and protective environment.

As well as places where therapies, play and precious memories can be created, Greenfingers gardens can also provide a special space for reflection and remembering.

Thanks to the brilliant and unwavering support for Greenfingers over the years, the charity has been able to create magical bespoke gardens for many other hospices all over the UK. Take a look at the incredible transformations of the hospice gardens Greenfingers has worked on here!

Why we are supporting Greenfingers

Tammy Woodhouse, Managing Director of Millbrook Garden Company, says: 

“In the last 2 years I have become a trustee of Greenfingers. It has been amazing to learn more about the valuable work they do in Children’s Hospices. Whilst many people may take for granted the simple pleasure of being able to enjoy a garden, for these children, their siblings and their families, the chance to spend time together outdoors and away from the bedside is precious. The gardens they create are valued by the Hospices, the patient and their families so much. Now, more than ever, I think we have learnt the value of outside space to our health and wellbeing and this is more important than ever for hospice patients.”

Last year Millbrook was delighted to be able to raise over £27,000 for the charity, with various fundraising activities. These included donating the proceeds from single-use carrier bag charges plus fundrasing events such as our Brave the Shave (which saw 4 members of the Millbrook team shaving their hair off – including our MD Tammy and Chairman, Sue Allen) as well as our Festive Charity Evenings. We would like to thank all of our customers for your kind and generous support!

All of the money raised will be used by Greenfingers to help fund a new garden planned for local hospice, Demelza in Sittingbourne Kent.

Lavinia Jarrett, Chief Executive at Demelza Hospice Care for Children says: 

“A huge thank you to the team at Millbrook for their continued support in raising the funds needed to redesign the garden at Demelza Hospice in Sittingbourne as part of the Greenfingers project. For many of the families that use our hospice, the gardens are a lifeline, providing space and a time for reflection, a place to play, have fun and make last memories as a family – we can’t thank you enough for your support and hard work.”

Take a look below at more information on this project and also the initial concept illustrations for the new garden:

• Demelza Hospice Care for Children, based in Sittingbourne – the site of Greenfingers’ first-ever garden – will see saw Andrew Fisher Tomlin from multi-award-winning garden designers, Fisher Tomlin & Bowyer, take control of this exciting design.
• The old garden will benefit from a full revamp including new works to the pond and a new wildlife safari including a wild meadow to attract butterflies and bees, plus an ant walk and animal highway. This garden, which will be accessible for all those who spend time in the hospice, is set to have the largest bug hotel in the whole of Kent.
• Part of this revamped garden space may look familiar to some as it will include elements from Baz Grainger’s 2021 RHS Hampton Court show garden.