National Gardens Scheme helps Marie Curie bloom

Marie Curieis celebrating over £5 million of donations and 15 years of support from The National Gardens Scheme (NGS).

The landmark was celebrated at the launch of the 2011 NGS Yellow Book   – detailing more than 3,700 mainly private gardens in England and Wales that open each year for the beneficiary charities of the NGS.

The NGS has helped Marie Curie bloom by donating the entrance fee to thousands of gardens who open their gates to the public to help raise much needed funds for charity. The money raised from the partnership enables Marie Curie Nurses   to provide more free care to terminally ill people in the comfort of their own homes, ensuring they can enjoy their own gardens during their final days.

Honor Wright, Marie Curie Nurse, said: “Many people I care for love their gardens and have put in lots of work into them over the years, so they want to enjoy them while they are at home.

“I once cared for a lady who was a keen gardener and often talked about how she could no longer tend to her garden or even go into it.  So her family and I brought her bed downstairs so that she could see out into the garden. She loved seeing the birds and hearing them tweet first thing in the morning.

“Last year alone the NGS donated over half a million pounds to Marie Curie, the equivalent of 25,000 hours of free nursing care. This ensured that Marie Curie Nurses like me could look after more people at home.”

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