Sussex charity joins forces with Denmans Garden to celebrate 30th anniversary

A photography competition will be run in association with Denmans Garden in Fontwell.

Di Levantine, chairman and co founder of the Sussex Snowdrop Trust, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Gwendolyn and her Team at Denmans, for giving us the opportunity to start our year with the Snowdrop Photographic Competition and consequential exhibition in the Pavilion at Denmans. Using our Snowdrop emblem, we hope to reach out to new supporters who are garden and flower enthusiasts, and to photographers far and wide.”

The charity provides 'Nursing Care at Home' for local children who have a life-threatening or terminal illness.

It has supported hundreds of families over these years, who have depended on the care at home team, with the help of the experienced children community nurses, who provide vital nursing care at home; emotional support by the counsellors, and extra help from the health care assistants.

In this momentous year, the Sussex Snowdrop Trust will be organizing many events to raise funds and awareness about the work of the Trust.

Gwendolyn van Paasschen, chair of the John Brookes-Denmans Foundation said: “Joyce Robinson and John Brookes, who created Denmans and lived here, also used the garden to help local charities like the National Garden Scheme, the Aldingbourne Trust, the Samaritans, and Chichester Area Talking News.

"We are absolutely honoured to have been asked to help the Sussex Snowdrop Trust mark their 30th anniversary here. The Snowdrop Trust play an essential role in the lives of local children who have life-threatening or terminal illness and it is wonderful to know that we can help support the Trust’s work. We are looking forward to seeing the photos that will be submitted of snowdrops and to hosting these wonderful events which also mark the start of Spring and reinforce the snowdrop as an emblem of hope.”

On Saturday, February 18 from 2.30pm until 4.30pm Denmans will be hosting exhibition ‘Snowdrops – where you least expect them!’, it will feature photographs of snowdrops and chance to see the recent addition of snowdrops in the garden at Denmans. Winners of the competition will be announced at 4pm.

You have until January 31 to enter the photographic competition, it is £3 per image, full details on www.thesussexsnowdroptrust.com

On Monday, February 20, from 2pm until 4pm Gwendolyn van Paasschen, owner of Denmans Garden, will be hosting a talk on winter interest for garden lovers in aid of the children’s charity. Gwendolyn will talk about the transition of the winter garden into early Spring, giving an insight into planting - looking at snowdrops and other early Spring plants such as camelias, hellebores, quince, cyclamen, winter aconites, and myriad others to be found at Denmans and beyond at this time of year.

Tickets can be purchased for £15 which includes garden entry from 11am until 4pm, with the talk starting promptly at 2pm in the Botanical Room.

If the weather is too bad to tour the garden ticket holders will receive a complimentary ticket to come back another day.

The photography exhibition will be up in the Pavilion at Denmans in February for visitors to visit for free.

Restoring the garden once owned by John Brookes MBE for future generations to enjoy