Fancy a local safari? You may not be able to spot the Big Five, but you are guaranteed ponds with wildlife, spectacular Tasmanian ferns and a 500 year old oak tree. Dulwich Helpline are holding a Dulwich Garden Safari on Sunday 1st June.
The Garden Safari is the brainchild of Caroline Dunmall, Administrator and Community Fundraiser at Dulwich Helpline. “I had visited several in my local area and had thoroughly enjoyed them,” Caroline says. “I also realised that they were proving to be a good fundraising event for the charities who ran them. I wanted to do the same for Dulwich Helpline, so it was a first for Dulwich Helpline and a first (of its kind) for me!”
Five beautiful Dulwich gardens in the Alleyn Road and Alleyn Park area will be open to the public. Tea and home-made cakes will be available and, says Caroline, “to entice keen gardeners, we are running a Plant Stall again. We did this last year, and it proved extremely popular.”
“Last year we ran a Dulwich Garden Safari (with different gardens) and although it rained all day, it attracted 200 people and raised £1,500.”
This year Dulwich Helpline are hoping to raise between £2,000 and £2,500. “We are also hoping to raise the profile of our charity in the local community in order to attract people who would like to volunteer, and individuals or local businesses/organisations who would be interested in supporting us financially with a donation, or by running fundraising events in aid of Dulwich Helpline,” says Caroline.
For those who are unaware of the work of Dulwich Helpline, Caroline explains, “We are a small registered charity based in Dulwich Community Hospital, and with our team of approximately 150 volunteers, we provide friendly emotional and practical support to isolated older people aged 55+ living in Dulwich and neighbouring areas. This support can be visiting an older person once a week or fortnight for a chat and cup of tea, giving transportation to one of our 20 activity groups, doing basic gardening, helping with an “odd job” round the home, or accompanying someone shopping. We currently support over 300 local older people each year.”
Visitors to the gardens will be able to see formal terraces, herbaceous borders, sculpture by a local artist, a parterre with mulberry, bay, apple and plum trees, vines, roses, and even the remnants of a wood that supplied oak for Sir Francis Drake’s navy. It’s all for a good cause and hopefully, this year the weather will hold.
Details: Sunday 1st June, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Ticket/map available on the day from 27 Alleyn Park, SE21. Adults £5, children 16 and under – free. No dogs allowed. For further information contact Caroline Dunmall: 8299 2623 / caroline@dulwich-helpline.org.uk
One Comment
This year’s Safari gardens are very special (and the homemade cakes will be too!). Why not make a day of it and come to see Dulwich Picture Gallery’s wonderful exhibition (it will be into its final week) as well? You will have a great day and know that you also helping isolated older people – through the terrific work of Dulwich Helpline – at the same time.