Smashing a Goal for a Good Cause: Yorkshire Garden Centre Group Raises Fundraising Target for Children's Hospice

It’s amazing what can happen when people decide to do something good together. Sometimes, a small goal ends up becoming something much, much bigger. That’s exactly what happened with a Yorkshire-based garden centre group and its incredible support for a local children’s hospice.

With two months of its charity year still to go, the team didn't just meet their fundraising target; they absolutely smashed it, proving that a little generosity from a lot of people can create a massive wave of positive change. This is a story about community, aiming high, and making a real difference for families when they need it most.

A partnership planted with purpose

Back in April 2025, the teams at Yorkshire Garden Centres set themselves a challenge. They pledged to raise £30,000 for Martin House Children’s Hospice. This isn't just any charity; it's a special place in Wetherby that provides vital care for babies, children, and young people from across West, North, and East Yorkshire who have conditions that mean their lives will likely be shorter than most. The partnership was a natural fit, connecting a community-focused garden centre group with a charity that offers incredible support to local families. The initial fundraising target was ambitious, but what happened next took everyone by surprise. The plan was simple: get everyone involved, from staff to customers, to support the children’s hospice.

The teams across all the garden centre sites, including Tong, Tingley, Otley, Bingley, York, Scarborough, and Pennine Garden Centres, rolled up their sleeves. They organised a whole series of fundraising events, but the support didn't stop there. They also arranged stock donations and placed collection boxes at the tills. A really clever part of their plan was the ‘Pennies’ initiative. This simple idea allows customers to donate a few pence from their change when they pay by card. It might not sound like much, but those pennies began to add up. Fast. In just ten months, this combined effort from the whole garden community raised an astonishing £75,000. That’s more than double their original fundraising target!

Setting a new, bigger fundraising target

Seeing how much support there was for this brilliant cause, the Bradford-based garden centre group decided they couldn't just stop there. They’ve now extended their commitment and set a huge new fundraising target. They’re aiming to raise a grand total of £150,000 for Martin House by June 2027. It's a testament to the success of the partnership and the generosity of everyone involved.

Steph Harrison, the group’s people and culture manager, shared her excitement about the extended partnership. “We’re delighted to announce that we are extending our fundraising for Martin House to June 2027, and have set a new target of £150,000. The partnership has been a huge success with our team and our customers, as they know the impact Martin House has on so many Yorkshire families and we’re very excited to see what a longer partnership can do.”

She also explained just how important these donations are. “Every year Martin House cares for more than 500 children and their families, as well as supporting around 200 bereaved family members, at its hospice, in hospitals and in the community. It is open 24/7, 365 days a year, whenever families need help and support.” Providing this level of care is incredibly expensive. “It costs around £12 million a year to provide this level of care, the majority of which comes from voluntary donations and fundraising. Thanks to the support of our colleagues and our generous customers who have used our ‘Pennies’ initiative to donate over £60,000 at the checkout, we have smashed our initial fundraising target, and we are looking forward to raising even more money for this very deserving cause.”

What this amazing support means for families

So, what does that £150,000 actually do? It provides something incredibly valuable. Martin House provides expert palliative care. That means focusing on offering comfort, managing pain, and ensuring the best possible quality of life for children with serious conditions. The hospice has 15 beds available, offering everything from planned short breaks for families (called respite), to emergency care when things get tough, and sensitive end of life care. Their work doesn’t end there; they also provide crucial bereavement support for families after a child has died, helping them navigate an impossibly difficult time.

The new fundraising target from Yorkshire Garden Centres has a very specific purpose. Hannah Finan, the charity’s partnership manager, explained its impact.

We are so grateful to the team at Yorkshire Garden Centres and their wonderful customers for pledging to raise £150,000 for Martin House. This year, we will open the Martin House Education Centre, as we lead the way in providing expert training and education in children’s palliative care to healthcare professionals around our region and beyond.

Think about that for a second. The money raised will fund an entire education centre team for a whole year. “£150,000 will fund our education team for a year, helping us to increase understanding and knowledge of excellent palliative care for children and young people with life-shortening conditions. Thank you so much for your generosity.” This means the positive effects of these donations will spread even further, helping more professionals provide better care for families all over the region.

Getting involved in the garden of giving

This whole initiative is a brilliant example of a long-standing commitment to the community. The relationship between the Tong garden centre and Martin House goes way back. As Mrs Harrison explained, “Martin House was our first Charity of the Year when we acquired Tong Garden Centre in 2015. In the last decade, we have raised over £140,000 for local charities through our Charity of the Year initiative and have donated £12,500 to community groups through our Kindness Pot which supports projects suggested by our team. This level of giving puts us in the top 1% of Just Giving supporters, which is an amazing statistic to celebrate.”

The team at Yorkshire Garden Centres isn't slowing down. They have a whole host of new fundraising events planned to help them reach their new goal. People can look forward to some exciting activities, including:

• A Yorkshire Day Spinathon at all garden centre sites

• A competitive Dragon Boat race

• A sponsored walk of the iconic Yorkshire Three Peaks

It shows that fundraising can be fun and bring people together for a great cause. The success of this charity year so far is all down to a community effort across Yorkshire, from Wetherby to the coast, proving that when a business, its staff, and its customers team up, they can achieve something truly special for families who need that support the most.