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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Mar 16

2 min read

Property finance lender MSP Capital has appointed its first dedicated IT & Transformation Director as it readies systems and processes for a projected loan book worth £750 million over the next five years.

Richard Cargill has joined the Poole, Dorset-based firm in the latest move of a 40-year career involving technical and senior managerial roles including at global level. His appointment is one of three recent additions to MSP Capital’s top team alongside Ben Arnold, Director of Property Services, and Julie Davies, Head of Risk & Compliance.

Richard began his IT career as a technical consultant supporting multinational corporations and government departments, representing leading technology companies including HP, IBM, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems.

He later transitioned into the financial services sector, where he held senior technology roles at organisations such as American Express, AXA, Aviva and Credit Suisse.

Focusing his work within the UK, Richard went on to become Chief Technology Officer for a prominent hedge fund and subsequently undertook several interim leadership roles, including with the merchant banking group Close Brothers plc.

Most recently, he served as Global IT Director at Advanced Instruments, where he played a key role in supporting the company’s mergers and acquisitions activity.

On joining MSP Capital, Richard said:

“MSP Capital is recognised for its speed, flexibility and strong, relationship‑focused approach. Supporting that is a sophisticated infrastructure that has strengthened its competitive position and fuelled sustained organic growth."

“My priority is to enhance MSP Capital’s growing capability to deploy funds as a principal lender by leveraging market‑leading technology. I’m excited to be part of the team.”

MSP Capital’s Chief Executive Leigh Bartlett said:

“Richard’s appointment is all about embracing the technological expertise to help us expand. We welcome him as a major contributor to our growth strategy and capability to scale up for the future.”

Richard, Ben and Julie’s arrivals follow MSP Capital’s launch of a package of lower rates on both development and bridging loans enabled by a landmark £350 million in new funding lines agreed last year.

The facility, involving investment partners J.P. Morgan and Pollen Street Capital, is designed to strengthen scope for a loan book worth £750 million or more by 2030.

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

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