Garden centre and horticultural industry staff are this month (January, 2018) being asked to sign up for a fundraising event being held at the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) annual conference. A game of hockey with an element of ‘fun and frolics’ will take place on January 21 at Stratford Leisure Centre, adjacent to The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon, from 3pm to raise money for Greenfingers, which creates gardens at children’s hospices nationwide.

Ian Flounders from Woodlodge Products, who captains The Cabbages team, which is made up of garden centre suppliers, said: “Last year’s Greenfingers Challenge Cup was a huge success after we raised a staggering £30,000 for the charity. This year we hope to raise even more with a game of ‘fockey’ – hockey with an element of fun and frolics, that is sure to bring out the competitive side of everyone who takes part.

“Guy Topping will take the reins of The Pansies team, which is made up of garden centre staff. After The Cabbages suffered a defeat during last year’s event we are coming back again more determined to win, but ultimately our main aim is to raise as much money as possible to help our fantastic charity and we hope lots of people get involved.”

Anyone interested in taking part in the Greenfingers Challenge Cup should contact Ian Flounders on captaincabbage@woodlodge.co.uk or call 07917 425966.

Greenfingers was launched in November 1998 by a group of volunteers drawn from all sectors of the gardening industry.

It supports children who use hospices around the UK, along with their families, by creating outdoor spaces for them to enjoy with family, friends and siblings, whether through play and fun or therapeutic rest and relaxation. To date it has created 53 gardens and outdoor spaces in hospices around the country.

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide.

Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

The game of fockey in aid of Greenfingers will take place at Stratford Leisure Centre, which is adjacent to The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon, on Sunday, January 21 from 3pm.

The GCA’s annual conference takes place at The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire from January 21 until 24, 2018.

For other information, please call 01244 952170, visit www.gca.org.uk, log on to www.facebook.com/pages/GardenCentreAssociation or follow the organisation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GC_Association.