Tates of Sussex Garden Centres are holding their annual coffee morning on Friday 13th October, an event held simultaneously across all 3 of their garden centres. Proceeds from all fundraising activities and hot drink sales on the morning are donated to chosen hospices across Sussex.
The event, which runs from 9am to 1pm, has been running since 2011, and helps raise finds and awareness for St Wilfred’s in Eastbourne, St Peter and St James’ in Burgess Hill and the Martlets in Hove.
Staff at Mayberry Garden Centre, in Portslade, whose chosen charity is local hospice The Martlets, have decided to raise the bar in their fundraising efforts this year, following the recent loss of much-loved Coffee Shop Manager Nicole Priest.
As the centre’s Director, Darren Clift explains, the coffee morning will have a poignant edge this year. “Nikki was a hugely popular figure with staff and customers alike and grew the coffee shop to what it is today from scratch. She was a great supporter of this event too. The hospice was there for her during a long illness she bravely fought and I know she valued everything they did for her and her family hugely. This is the first coffee morning since we lost Nikki and the team are determined to make it a record fundraising year in her memory.”
Activities for this year include a charity raffle, with the chance to win 1 of 3 large Mayberry Hampers. Each hamper contains homemade cakes, scones, shortbread, Florentines, cheese straws, and a selection of traditional soft drinks, jams and chutneys. Tickets are £1 each, and with almost 300 sold already, the raffle is proving popular with garden centre customers.
Last year’s event raised a total of £1668.
