2024
Proceeds from the 2024 Flower Show will benefit the local charity, Made a Mark
At its first meeting of the year, the organising committee decided on which charity it should support in 2024. Suggested to the committee by resident and show stalwart Pat Edwardes, locally based ‘Made a Mark’ was chosen. The charity was founded in 2018 in memory of Mark Knapp, a much-loved husband and father of 2 young children, who died very suddenly and unexpectedly. Whilst the care that Mark received in hospital was excellent, the family were left feeling that the support for the children in that setting simply wasn’t there. It really was difficult to know what to do, where to turn to and how best to talk to the children about what had happened. The charity is a way to help other families take opportunities that were missed, by providing memory boxes and supporting materials to acute hospitals and hospices, which can be given to children and their families following a loss. Made a Mark is a registered with the Charity Commission and is a no-salary charity, run solely by volunteers for the public benefit. We do hope, with the support of the community, the Flower Show will be able to raise a good sum for this great cause.
Made a Mark Charity is a child bereavement charity operating out of Alveston. We provide memory boxes and supporting materials to professionals working with children bereaved of a parent (or similar care giver) and/or sibling. Starting in 2018 and supplying memory boxes in the Bristol area, word of our resources quickly spread. Fast forward to today and we have supplied over 4,000 memory boxes to over 130 organisations across England and Wales.
2023
Proceeds from the 2023 Flower Show were donated to the Great Western Air Ambulance.
From their airbase just a few miles away at Almondsbury, the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity Critical Care Team provides emergency services responses over an area which includes South Gloucestershire and Bristol.
They are a flying Emergency Department transporting a Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care and a Consultant Doctor to the scene of incidents or medical emergencies. Operating 365 days a year and attending over 5 incidents per day on average, they are one of the busiest air ambulances in the UK.
They receive no government or national lottery funding, so completely rely on the communities they serve to help them raise funds needed, so they can be there when people need them. The Flower Show, with your help is very pleased to support them.
A representative from the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity attended the show to tell us more. They helped present the show’s trophies and received an initial cheque for the charity. A second cheque was presented at the Flower Show’s AGM in October.
2022
In 2022, we decided to raise funds for two separate local charities from this year’s show. Due to limitations to sponsorship in 2021 brought about by Covid, the Community Defibrillators continued to be supported with a topup donation. The main charity was the Avon Riding Centre (RDA) All money raised by the flower show will go to the charities.
The Avon Riding Centre (RDA)
Based on Kings Weston Road, Henbury, the Avon Riding Centre offers riding and horse related therapy to people with disability or disadvantages, living in and around the Bristol area. It has operated locally for more than 40 years. They offer regular lessons to riders with additional needs and support requirements (physical, intellectual, communication, sensory, behavioural, etc.). Lessons provide therapy, enjoyment and achievement to riders with a wide range of impairments and disabilities. They also run in-house dressage and show jumping competitions for RDA riders during school holidays, alongside other holiday activities. Some of the riders are also able to represent the Group in annual Regional and National Competitions run by the RDA. Other facilities include land for hacking and a simulator (mechanical horse), which can be used to improve fitness, balance, core strength and to practise aspects of riding. (Registered charity no. 1534625).
Visit to the Avon Centre
In November, 2023, the committee members were welcomed for a visit at the Avon Centre (formerly RDA). This was a great opportunity for the committee members to see how the monies raised by the 2022 flower show are used at the centre. We watched riding lessons being given to children in the vast indoor arena and sat in seats which originally came from the old Webley Stadium and were used by Princess Anne earlier this year. We saw Shetland ponies, toured the stables and were given a demonstration of the horse simulator. A big thank you to Karen Sheppard for arranging and giving a very interesting tour.
Community Defibrillators
The Community Defibrillators Group is run through the 1st Severn Beach Scouts Group, who are based at the Mafeking Hall, Pilning. They provide and maintain this vital equipment for the local communities of Pilning, Severn Beach and Easter Compton.