Customers shopping at a Harrogate-based gardening charity can now stop and enjoy a cup of tea – thanks to the support of local school Belmont Grosvenor.
After choosing Horticap as their adopted charity for the year, parents, pupils and staff at ‘outstanding’ Belmont Grosvenor School, based at Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith, raised a massive £10,000.
As well as an Olympic-themed summer ball for parents, pupils swam the length of the River Nidd, in the school swimming pool, to collect cash for the charity.
Now Horticap, which provides adults with learning difficulties training in horticulture, allied crafts and rural skills, has opened a new tea-room at their Bluecoat Wood nursery, using the money raised by Belmont Grosvenor School.
Joy Allan, Chairman of the Trustees of Horticap, said the charity was delighted with the support from the co-educational prep school which had allowed them to open their small tea room at their Bluecoat Wood nursery.
Joy said:
The tea room is an ‘added extra’ for our customers, who can now come and have a cup of tea while they shop with us or look around the gardens, and also for our students who help to serve the teas and coffees.
Since we opened, we have had so many positive comments – we are very grateful to Belmont Grosvenor School for all their support and the children’s magnificent swimming effort. We couldn’t have done this without them.
Belmont Grosvenor School, along with its Magic Tree Nursery, is set in 20 acres of grounds on the outskirts of Harrogate and caters for children from three months to 11 years.
Each year, the school’s PTA supports a local charity and raises money in a wide range of ways. Staff and students at Horticap visited the school regularly to work alongside pupils on a number of projects, including the planting of Jubilee cherry trees and the making of Christmas wreaths.
Gail Bland, charities co-ordinator at Belmont Grosvenor School, said she was delighted the £10,000 raised at the school had been used to open a tea shop at Horticap.
Gail said:
Everyone at Belmont Grosvenor School is delighted to have helped Horticap open a tea room which will be of great benefit to both students at the charity and customers.
I am sure our collaboration with this very deserving charity will continue as the Christmas wreath making with Horticap has become part of the calendar of events at school.
