Terry Head, retail and marketing director of the Stewarts Garden Centres, presented a cheque on behalf of the thousands of customers who donated towards last year’s appeal on behalf of the Dorset and Wiltshire children’s hospices Julia’s House. The £20,711.40 total was raised for Stewarts’ charity of the year not only from donations in collection tins and the wishing well, but also during activities including Easter egg hunts, Halloween events and proceeds from the sale of kids’ reindeer badges over the Christmas festivities.

Laura Kelly, community fundraising manager at Julia’s House said, “We are thrilled that Stewarts’ customers have raised such an amazing amount of money for Julia’s House families. The Stewarts team has collectively worked so hard all year round to make this happen, and their contribution will make a huge difference to our care and to the mums, dads and children that we help. This sort of donation could fund one part-time nurse for a whole year, or it could help to provide three weeks of the all-important specialist support a family needs at the end of a child’s life at the hospice. Well done to the whole of the Stewarts team!”