Garden opening raises £5,000 for earthquake appeal

Hundreds of nature lovers helped raise £5,230 to support earthquake victims in Northern Syria at the two annual Snowdrop Open Weekends at Tudor Croft Garden, Guisborough.

Owners Mike Heagney and his sister Gel said not only did everyone seem to enjoy the snowdrops, but they also gave generously to the appeal.

The funds raised at Tudor Croft have already been sent to Jacob’s Well, a Yorkshire charity that has been sending trucks of humanitarian and medical aid into the war-torn nation for years.

Even before the earthquake, around 60 per cent of hospitals were destroyed in Syria, leaving 12 million people with no healthcare provision.

Mike, who also runs landscaping and maintenance business Garden Revitalised, said: “We have supported Jacob's Well for 40 years, and we know we can trust them to get aid directly to the victims.”

The Tudor Croft collection of rare and beautiful varieties now numbers about 300 different snowdrops and is thought to be the biggest in the North-East.

Mike and Gel have raised thousands of pounds for charity over the years with the biannual garden openings. This year’s summer open weekends are June 17 and 18 and June 24 and 25.