Aid for Ukraine
Garden centres step up to the mark for Ukraine
From cake sales to flying to Poland, garden centres are doing their bit to help communities in Ukraine.
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cross the country garden centres have been working with local communities to raise money, collect donations and deliver essential supplies to help people who have lost so much in the invasion of Ukrainian. Some such as the Blue Diamond group and ISE Garden Centre in Kettering have shown their support through donating money raised rather aptly through sales of the Peace rose. This cultivar was bred by Francis Meilland in the mid 1930’s and he sent cuttings to growers across Europe and America just before the outbreak of WW2 in a bid to save it for future gardeners. Through all its garden centres and online from Fryers Roses, the Blue Diamond Group has already donated in excess of £10,000 to the British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal and hopes to send the charity a similar level of donation at the end of April, based on current sales. Blue Diamond has also donated £3500 towards the cost of fueling 8 aircraft packed with medical supplies flying from Southend Airport to Poland. The efforts support the husband of a member of staff who is a doctor and has organized the donations. Similarly ISE Garden Centre in Kettering donated 100% of the sales of the Peace rose during the month of March to Save the Children UK and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Sian Berrick, ISE Garden Centre Manager, said the garden centre sold all of its Peace roses and is now growing on more plants so it
12 March/April 2022
Robert Milroy, a Guernsey shareholderr of The Blue Diamond d Group, clocked up 177 hours of flying whilee piloting a Cirrus SR222 to Lublin..
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