Children’s charity, the NSPCC is urging garden enthusiasts across Northern Ireland to take part in a virtual open garden event to back its work, with funds going to supporting vulnerable children here.
With fundraising events across the country cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, this online event will enable supporters to virtually explore other NI gardens and share their own green-fingered creations.
To take part, members of the public are being encouraged to make a suggested donation of £5 per entry to be paid through Justgiving and then email their gardening photographs to virtualopengardensni@nspcc.org.uk up until Friday, 26 June.
A selection will later be shared on NSPCC Northern Ireland’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Entrants will be in with a chance to win either a £100, £50 or £25 voucher for Hillmount Garden Centre Belfast, Bangor and Newtownards; lead sponsor for the event.
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The event comes as the team of frontline counsellors at Childline - which is run by the NSPCC - continue to help children during the Covid-19 pandemic.
For many young people, the difficult circumstances they were already facing - which can include abuse, domestic violence and difficult family relationships - have been exacerbated during lockdown.
Margaret Mitchell, chair of the Omagh Branch Committee said: “I’ve been a volunteer with the local fundraising committee for several years and we hold many events but the Bluebell Walk through Baronscourt Estate is the fixture I look forward to most.
“Raising around £3,000 in donations for NSPCC Northern Ireland, it’s always an amazing day out and a great chance to walk in the beautiful grounds of Baronscourt estate.
“The committee members and I will very much miss the Bluebell Walk this year and the vital income it generates to help keep children safe, but the virtual open gardens event really is the next best thing.
“It also means that not just people from Co Tyrone but gardening enthusiasts from across Northern Ireland can take part and help support the work of NSPCC Northern Ireland.”
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Robin Mercer from Hillmount said: "We are looking forward to seeing the creativity in the gardens that the general public have developed during lockdown as I know that our gardens have provided us with a great source of calm and escapism over the past couple of months."
Childline has two NI bases at Belfast and Foyle. Its staff and volunteers have been designated key workers by the Northern Ireland Executive.
Technology enables some Childline staff to work from home and important changes have been made to the Childline website to provide additional support to children and young people. Childline can be contacted o on 0800 1111 or via 1-2-1 chat on www.childline.org.uk.
