Garden Centres Raises More Than £100K For Martin House Children’s Hospice

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Yorkshire Garden Centres has reached a major fundraising milestone after raising more than £106,000 for Martin House Children’s Hospice since the partnership began in April 2025.

Across its seven branches, colleagues and customers have thrown themselves behind the partnership, from bake sales and raffles to running, cycling and dragon boat racing. Each branch has its own charity champion and fundraising target, while the Pennies initiative gives customers the option to add 25p to their purchase at the checkout.

Staff have taken on individual challenges, including Dry January and the Great North Run, while CEO Mark Farnsworth has organised and joined cycling challenges. Colleagues also entered two sunflower-themed teams into Martin House’s Dragon Boat Race and took part in an in-store spinathon, cycling the equivalent distance from their stores to the hospice.

Last year, the company played a major part in Martin House’s 36-hour giving challenge for THE BUILD, raising more than £7,000.

Support has gone beyond fundraising too. Staff have donated items to Martin House’s retail team, contributed prizes to the Glitter Ball auction and donated Lego to the hospice. The company has also provided table centres for Martin House Ladies’ Lunches and welcomed children and families to Christmas events and the opening of its Otley Grass Hopper play centre. The partnership will run until June 2027.

Mark Farnsworth, CEO of Yorkshire Garden Centres, said:

“Reaching more than £100,000 is a fantastic milestone and is down to the enthusiasm of our colleagues, customers and charity champions across all seven of our centres.”

“Martin House does incredible work for children and families across Yorkshire, and our teams have really embraced the partnership. Whether it’s taking on a personal challenge, jumping into a dragon boat or simply asking customers to add 25p at the till, everyone has found their own way to get involved.”

“We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together so far and look forward to continuing our support.”

Hannah Finan, Partnership Manager at Martin House, said:

“We’re hugely grateful to everyone at Yorkshire Garden Centres for reaching this incredible milestone. What makes the partnership so special is the sheer variety of ways their teams have chosen to support us. From major fundraising challenges to donations, events and welcoming the families we support, their commitment has reached right across Martin House."

“More than £106,000 is an amazing achievement and will make a real difference to the children, young people and families who rely on our care.”

Each year, Martin House supports more than 550 children and young people with life-shortening conditions, and their families, across West, North and East Yorkshire.

Its specialist teams provide care at the hospice in Boston Spa, in hospitals and in families’ own homes, including planned short breaks, symptom management, emergency care and end-of-life care.

Providing this specialist care costs Martin House around £13 million every year, with the majority coming from voluntary donations and fundraising.

For further information about Martin House Children's Hospice and how to support it, visit here.

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Feb 24

2 min read

The UK Agri-Tech Centre has announced new access to fast-track support for UK agri-tech start-ups and scale-ups as it sets out its priorities and focus to accelerate their commercial success.

At a reception at the House of Lords on 3 February 2026, incoming CEO Steve McLean, who joins the UK Agri-Tech Centre from his position as Marks & Spencer’s Head of Agriculture & Fisheries Sourcing, outlined plans to build a vibrant UK agri-tech sector that boosts agricultural resilience and sustainability.

The move will provide critical de-risking for investors by ensuring technologies are market-ready, fit for purpose and commercially viable.

The UK Agri-Tech Centre will deliver this through access to resources that allow ventures to test, validate and demonstrate their ideas, proof-of-concept, and return on investment in real-world commercial and farming environments.

By brokering strong industry and supply chain connections focused on driving adoption at scale, the UK Agri-Tech Centre helps bring the best of UK agri-tech innovation to commercial application.

Steve McLean, CEO, UK Agri-Tech Centre comments:

“As we enter a new technological era driven by data, automation, robotics and AI, the agri-tech sector is poised for growth. The recognition of agri-tech as a Frontier Sector in the Government’s 10-year Modern Industrial Strategy elevates its importance across the economy, and sets our context and our purpose."

“Our goal is clear: to make the UK one of the world’s most successful environments for agri-tech innovation, attracting and growing the most capable, impactful ventures."

“We will support the agri-tech sector in achieving its full potential by accelerating the commercialisation and scale-up of UK agri-tech ventures, by enabling access to advice, connection and capabilities. Our role in supporting agri-tech ventures on their growth path will support them in achieving commercial success with viable businesses."

“Combining my commercial background from one of the UK’s largest retailers with experience from across the entire agri value chain consolidates our strategic position in supporting ventures in this high potential sector.”

The UK Agri-Tech Centre has, to date, supported more than 300 agri-tech businesses across the UK with a clear plan to provide business support, test, trial and demonstration capabilities, and wider agri-tech sector support to address barriers to innovation, investment challenges and scaling internationally.

This support will focus on priority technologies in the Government’s 10-year Modern Industrial Strategy: robotics and automation; advanced sensors; data and AI; controlled environment agriculture and engineering biology.

The House of Lords reception is a highlight of the UK Agri-Tech Centre’s Growth Week, designed to help agri-tech ventures tackle barriers to growth, and showcase the success stories of the businesses supported by the UK Agri-Tech Centre.

Exciting opportunities for agri-tech ventures launching in February include an Agri-Tech Solution Sprint – which is focused on providing one-to-one support to overcome technical and commercial challenges, and a Global Growth Accelerator – helping UK ventures scale by validating their technology in international markets, starting with New Zealand.

For more information visit UK Agri-Tech Centre.

Photo:

(L-R) Ellie Abbiss, Events Officer, Grace O'Gorman, External Affairs Director, Steve McLean, CEO, Helen Brookes, Engagement Director, and Paige Boardman, National Exhibition and Events Manager at the House of Lords during Growth Week.

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Garden Centres Raises More Than £100K For Martin House Children’s Hospice

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