The Greenfingers Charity is celebrating a fundraising milestone, with the garden retail sector coming together to raise a grand total of £5,912 at Glee 2026 – surpassing last year’s impressive £4,200 and marking the strongest Glee total to date.
The money was generated through a series of activities across the show, including the much‑loved Floral Thursday, reflecting the industry’s ongoing commitment to supporting the charity’s work creating therapeutic gardens at children’s hospices across the UK.
The biggest contribution came from Floral Thursday, which once again transformed the halls of Glee into a vibrant celebration of colour and creativity. Exhibitors and visitors donned their finest floral attire, with exhibitors and visitors alike sporting bloom-inspired shirts, dresses, suits and accessories; all whilst donating generously and buying raffle tickets throughout the day.
By midday, a very festive-looking crowd gathered at Glee’s Centre Stage for the Floral Thursday finale, clutching tickets for the hotly-anticipated Greenfingers raffle and to take part in a world record attempt for the greatest number of people wearing florals in a single photograph. The joyful moment captured the spirit of the industry and helped push the day’s fundraising total to £3,313.
Original artwork and product donations boost total
Another highlight came from the Woodmansterne stand, where watercolour artist Kate Leach painted an original piece of artwork live at the show. The finished piece was offered as a raffle prize to anyone donating to the Greenfingers Charity, raising £657 and drawing strong interest from visitors throughout the event.
At the close of Glee, exhibitors once again showed their support for Greenfingers by donating products from their stands. These items were auctioned by W&H Peacocks after the show closed, raising £1,942 and providing a welcome boost to the final total.
New Collaboration launched
During the show, Ivyline unveiled another way for retailers to support Greenfingers with the debut of a specially designed collection – Pots with Purpose – created in partnership with the charity.
The brand-new range of cacti pots drew strong interest from buyers looking for meaningful, gift‑ready products with a charitable purpose. With 50p from every set sold donated directly to Greenfingers Charity, retailers now have a simple and commercially attractive way to help raise future funds for hospice gardens, while offering customers a stylish new addition to their indoor plant ranges.
Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising & Communications at Greenfingers Charity, said: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make this year’s fundraising such a success.
“From the amazing support shown on Floral Thursday to the generosity of exhibitors donating products and the beautiful artwork created by Kate Leach, the industry has once again come together in the most wonderful way.
“It was also lovely to see Ivyline launch its Pots with Purpose collection at the show, giving retailers a new way to support the Greenfingers Charity in the coming year.
“Every pound raised helps us to create and maintain more therapeutic gardens that allow children, families and hospice staff to spend meaningful time in surroundings that feel calm, natural and far removed from the clinical environment.
“These spaces support play, reflection and respite and we cannot thank the garden retail community enough for their kindness, enthusiasm and continued support.”
To find out more about the Greenfingers Charity and its work creating gardens for children’s hospices across the UK, visit www.greenfingerscharity.org.uk.
You can also follow Greenfingers Charity on Instagram and LinkedIn (@GreenfingersCharity) for the latest news, fundraising events and inspiring stories.
