Open your hospice garden
The National Garden Scheme gives visitors access to over 3,500 private gardens every year. Find out how to open your hospice’s garden, and get tips on making the most of the event.
What is the National Garden Scheme?
The National Garden Scheme (NGS) enables people in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and the Channel Islands to visit and enjoy private gardens. In doing so, it raises money for nursing and health charities.
The NGS also raises awareness of the impact of gardens and gardening on physical and mental health.
How the National Garden Scheme benefits hospices
Opening your hospice garden with the National Garden Scheme gives you the opportunity to raise vital funds for your own hospice services. It also enables National Garden Scheme to donate money to their beneficiaries.
NGS and Hospice UK
The National Garden Scheme have donated over £7 million to Hospice UK since 1996. This money has helped us:
- provide advice, support and expertise to hospices
- support staff training and development
- celebrate outstanding achievements.
Why should we open our hospice garden with NGS?
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Opening your garden can be a daunting process. National Garden Scheme will put you in touch with your local county organiser, who will guide you.
You will also be invited to a local welcome event where you can meet other garden owners and get peer support.
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You’ll be provided with National Garden Scheme marketing materials to help you promote your open garden. Your garden will feature in the Garden Visitor’s Handbook, which is sold in major bookstores and distributed to 33,000 people.
National Garden Scheme will feature your open garden on its digital channels. Hospice UK also promotes hospice open gardens across our channels.
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Although the money raised from ticket sales goes directly to NGS, any other funds you raise on the day are for your hospice. We’ve put together some ideas to help you maximise your income from the event.
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Opening your garden to the public gives you the opportunity to showcase your hospice and dispel some of the myths about hospice care.
Holding an enjoyable event for the whole community can help your staff and volunteers feel appreciated and boost morale.
How to open your garden
To open your garden with National Garden Scheme, contact your county organiser. They will guide you through the process and answer any questions you may have.
Make the most of your open garden
We’ve put together some tips to help you make the most of your open garden event.
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Aside from ticket sales, any money you raise from your open garden is for your hospice. So make the most of the opportunity! You could:
- sell refreshments (home made cake is always very popular!)
- sell produce or cuttings from your garden
- sell hospice merchandise
- hold a raffle
- set up a book stall
- have activities for children such as face painting or a photo booth.
You could even hire out space to local entrepreneurs, for example food vans or craft stalls.
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Promote your open garden event far and wide to make sure everyone knows about it!
You will get support from National Garden Scheme but think about advertising locally, both on- and offline. Contact local newspapers and radio, highlight the event on social media and put posters up in your community.
Volunteers are a great source of promotion so get them on board. Invite them along and ask them to help out with specific, meaningful roles. Create a rota so they can sign up for shifts – this means they will also have time to enjoy themselves!
Don’t forget to promote the event in all your retail outlets and community hubs. Invite all your services users, their families and friends.
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Opening your garden is a brilliant way to celebrate the amazing work of your hospice.
Invite your partners and media contacts – those you have been working with for a while and anyone you want to build a relationship with. This might be a potential corporate sponsor, a major donor or a potential new trustee. Make sure there will be someone to meet them and chat to them.
Amidst all the festivities, make sure you provide some unobtrusive information about the services you provide.
Try to keep a space for quiet reflection, for anyone who needs it. Make sure there is a way for people to get in touch if they have any questions or need support.
Have you opened your garden with NGS? Contact us - we'd love to hear about it!
Community Garden Grants
The National Garden Scheme also give grants to help community gardening projects, which hospices are able to apply for to support their existing or proposed community garden or similar site. The deadline for the 2023/24 grants is 12 noon, Monday 13th November 2023.