Get stuck in for a Welly Wonderful Week!

Thousands of school children and workers across Britain will be wearing wellies in April to raise funds to support the vital work of Garden Organic, the UK’s leading organic growing charity. The charity, which launched Welly Week five years ago with great success, hopes that 2008 will prove to be yet another great year for fundraising.

Running from Monday 21 to Sunday 27 April 2008 Welly Week invites school children, businesses, and members of the public, to don their favourite pair of wellies to raise money for the charity. Fundraising ideas for the week are unlimited, ranging from paying a £1 to wear wellies to work or school, or being sponsored to wear your wellies in an unusual place. Sponsored welly walks and even ‘welly wanging’ competions are just some of the fun ideas people had last year!

Celebrating it’s 50th anniversary in 2008, Garden Organic is raising funds to help maintain its world class organic demonstration gardens, to support the vital work of its Heritage Seed Library, which preserves over 800 varieties of vegetables under threat of extinction, widen its education programmes to help more children learn about food and organic growing, and enable growers worldwide to adopt organic methods through its international development programmes.

Many of the 4,000 plus schools who take part in Garden Organic’s free education programme sponsored by Duchy Originals have already pledged their support, but all schools are invited to take part. Last year a number of businesses also asked to be involved in the day, and this year the scope will be widened to ensure that nobody misses out on the Welly Week fun!

Fundraiser at Garden Organic, Liz Fredericks, says “Welly Week is about reminding people that being outdoors is fun and rewarding and that growing organically is important for the future of our children and the planet. We want to get as many people as possible out and about in their wellies to show their support for a great cause.”

More Welly Week fundraising ideas:

• Why not dedicate a day to wellies during the week of the 21 – 27 April 2008 and ask pupils or work colleagues to pay a £1 to come to work or school wearing their favourite welly boots.
• Why not hold a welly wanging competition, each entrant pays a small fee and whoever throws their welly the longest distance wins a prize.
• Ask friends to sponsor you to wear your wellies somewhere unusual – such as to an office meeting or even to take part in PE at school!
• Try filling a welly up with seeds or potatoes and ask people to pay a small fee to guess how many there are in the boot. Whoever guesses closest wins a prize and Garden Organic benefits from the funds raised.
• Organise a sponsored welly walk. Set yourself a target distance, get some friends to sponsor you and away you go!

All funds raised can be sent to support Garden Organic. Please post all monies by cheque or postal order to Garden Organic, Membership Department, Wolston Lane, near Coventry, CV8 3LG.

For everything you need to promote welly week at school, in the workplace or at your local club or pub visit www.gardenorganic.org.uk. From here you can download posters to print, print out stickers and pick up ideas on how to raise money for the charity.

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