Perrywood Garden Centre donates floral hamper to charities

Perrywood Garden Centre, which has bases in Tiptree and Sudbury, completed their annual gift-giving tradition.

For the last eight years, the garden centre has gifted items to individuals involved in communities.

This year, the centre donated plants to The Tiptree Community Hub, Abberton Rural Training and the Red Rose Community Farm.

Last year, donations were made to the front doors of Abberton Rural Training volunteers.

The initiative is part of their Christmas cheer campaign to thank volunteers who support charities and community groups.

The Tiptree Community Hub provides a range of services for the local community such as access to free food and supporting good physical and mental health.

Volunteers: Perrywood staff with Tiptree Hub volunteers (Image: Perrywood Garden Centre)

The hub, based in Station Road, has a kitchen, café and shop area all with the aim of preventing food waste.

The registered community interest company has helped hundreds of households in Tiptree and the surrounding areas who are struggling with high costs.

The hub stocks fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, milk and eggs as well as tinned food and much more.

The hub also stocks school uniforms which helps reduce costs for families with children at schools in the area.

Donations: Perrywood senior communications manager Louise Smith donates plants to Abberton Rural Training (Image: Perrywood Garden Centre)

Abberton Rural Training is an educational charity providing practical and skills training alongside therapeutic support and mentoring to the residents of Essex and surrounding areas.

The Red Rose Community Farm located near Sudbury (run by The Befriending Scheme) provides a therapeutic environment with friendship and learning opportunities for those with learning disabilities, people suffering from ill mental health, and vulnerable children and families.

Louise Smith, senior communications manager, said: “I’ve helped organise our Christmas Cheer campaign for a number of years now and the enjoyment of delivering them hasn’t wavered.

“It is an honour to gift the planters to well deserving volunteers or someone in need of a little lift.

“Visiting the charities we support and local community groups is always inspiring, the work they do is so valuable and this is even more apparent when you visit and see the huge smiles from those that benefit.”