Plus fours at the ready for Greenfingers Challenge Cup

We’re asking garden centre and horticultural industry staff to sign up for a fundraising event being held at our 51^st annual conference.

A game of golf with a difference will take place on Sunday, January 22 at St Andrews in Scotland to raise money for Greenfingers, which creates gardens at children’s hospices nationwide.

Ian Flounders, The Cabbages team captain, said: “I am thrilled to be taking over the reins from Danny Adamson at this exciting event for an extremely worthwhile cause.

“We have organised a game of golf with a difference. I will be taking charge of the supplier team, The Cabbages, while Guy Topping from Barton Grange Garden Centres will be leading the garden centre team, The Pansies.

“There are 18 holes on the course and we’re calling on suppliers and garden centres to sponsor a hole and book their teams in to join in the fun. Sponsorship starts from £250 per hole and other sponsorship opportunities are available also. Each team will consist of four people, two from The Cabbages and two from The Pansies.

“The game promises to be unusual and a lot of fun. The dress code will be golfing attire and there will be prizes for the best dressed golfer, as well as for the lowest score and a prestigious trophy for the winning team. All sporting material will be provided by Woodlodge.”

The Cabbages team will sponsor the pins and The Pansies will sponsor the tees.

Anyone interested in taking part in the Greenfingers Challenge Cup should contact Ian Flounders on ianflounders@woodlodge.co.uk or call 07917 425966.

Ian added: “During the evening there will be a light-hearted quiz, billed as ‘The Topping Show Live’ hosted by Guy, which will seek to raise more cash for this amazing charity.

“The event raised £11,000 in 2016, so we’re hoping to beat that in 2017.”

Greenfingers was launched in November 1998 by a group of volunteers drawn from all sectors of the gardening industry.

It supports children who use hospices around the UK, along with their families, by creating outdoor spaces for them to enjoy with family, friends and siblings, whether through play and fun or therapeutic rest and relaxation. To date it has created 51 gardens and outdoor spaces in hospices around the country.