THE first ever Brandon Secret Gardens has been hailed a success after more than �1,100 was raised for St Nicholas Hospice Care.

THE first ever Brandon Secret Gardens has been hailed a success after more than �1,100 was raised for St Nicholas Hospice Care.

And the fantastic total from the event was further boosted by a private donation of �5,000 on the day.

A total of 16 gardens were open to the public and the glorious weather helped to make the inaugural event a great success.

Sue Long, community fundraiser, said: “We are overjoyed that the first ever Brandon Secret Gardens event proved so popular.

“To raise more than �1,100 is a fantastic achievement and testimony to the hard work and dedication of everybody involved in the event.

“And to top it off with a private donation of �5,000 makes the whole day even more amazing. We would like to thank everyone connected with organising such a successful event and everyone who attended.”

As well as an array of beautiful summer gardens on show, many participating homeowners also offered, strawberries and cream and plants for sale.

Gera Evans, one of the organisers of the event, said: “The whole day went far beyond our expectations and brought a lot of joy for the whole community.”

The event continues the fantastic response the Hospice has received from the communities of both Brandon and Thetford.

In February last year, the Hospice teamed up with the Times to launch an appeal to fund a community nurse in the area. To date, more than �15,000 has been raised thanks to the generosity of readers.

If you would like to support the appeal in any way, contact Sue Long, community fundraiser for both Thetford and Brandon areas, on 01284 747612.