John’s garden trips stream £1,160 into charity’s coffers
GREEN-FINGERED John Bleasdale from Cheadle Hulme is putting his horticultural highlights on display, as he opens his garden in aid of a local charity.
Every month during lockdown, John, 58, has been live streaming his garden to show how it develops over time, and is asking those viewing his updates to make a donation to St Ann’s Hospice.
Since March, John has shared six streams online and has raised £1,160 for the charity.
John said: “I wanted to do this as a fundraising event and chose St Ann’s as it relies heavily on the support of the community.
“I recognise that Covid-19 has severely restricted the Hospice’s ability to fundraise and I wanted to do something to help.”
The videos follow a simple yet engaging format in which John walks through his garden, discussing individual plants and picking out a monthly highlight.
To finish the videos off, John also shares a song that captures the mood.
John went on to say: “We are lucky to have such a valuable asset as St Ann’s in our community and it’s important that we support it for the future.”
Eamonn O’Neal, Chief Executive of St Ann’s, said:
“We’ve been really inspired by the different ways people have found to support us during the coronavirus pandemic, and John’s garden tours have been one of the highlights. His passion and knowledge for gardening really shines through, and we’re hugely grateful to him for supporting us in this way, and also to everyone who has viewed the videos and made a donation.
“The funds have certainly grown as well as the amazing blooms on show! Thanks very much for all your efforts John.”
You can watch John’s latest virtual tour here: https://www.facebook. com/john.bleasdale.14/