Businesses and individuals are being urged to sponsor part of Thetford’s Kings House gardens in a bid to ease the financial burden currently borne by trustees.

Two local companies and a family have already taken on some flower beds, but organisers have said if more were willing to follow suit this would widen opportunities available within the gardens.

Currently, the Staniforth Trust, a registered charity on which Thetford town councillors are the trustees, is responsible for maintaining and funding the gardens.

Maintenance costs �22,900 while bulbs are around another �3,000 more.

Co-operative Funeral Care, Carpet Warehouse and “Alec Emery and family” have already sponsored beds in the gardens, including roses, and by incorporating more sponsorship within the gardens, the trust would be free to do even more with the money available.

Town manager Susan Glossop said: “I think a lot of people don’t realise how beautiful the gardens are and they don’t come in here. Sponsorship is very helpful because it would make the upkeep easier. It’s also a huge cost, all the time. The more people who sponsor the beds, the more we can do.”

Kings House and gardens were bequeathed to the people of Thetford by George Wild Staniforth in 1947 and a team of two gardeners now work 50 weeks a year on the maintenance.

Annual beds are changed twice a year and beyond a lawn area, with its herbaceous rockery beds, is a garden with viburnums surrounded by varieties of rosa, geranium, crocosmia and hellebore, to name a few.

There is also a variety of trees, a wrought-iron pegola with climbing roses, and a secluded area containing a kiwi, bamboo and grasses. At the rear of the gardens are also two tennis courts and a bowling green, all available for hire.

For more information or to sponsor one or more beds, contact Susan Glossop on 01842 754038 or send an email to susanglossop@thetfordtowncouncil.gov.uk.