Community review of 2021
As an independent family run business we feel it is incredibly important to give back to the local community. Although 2021 continued to have restrictions with events due to the pandemic, we did still manage to support some very worthy causes. Here is a summary of the work we have done in 2021.
Nightingale House Hospice – 2022 – 15 years of support
In 2007 Joan Bellis decided it would be appropriate to concentrate our charity fundraising on Nightingale House Hospice in Wrexham. Since then we have worked in association with this wonderful charity and have helped raise over £140,000 2022 will be our 15th year of supporting this very worthy charity.
Our total for 2021 was over £9000 which was fantastic considering we were still unable to run many of our usual events. For the second year running our virtual dog show was a huge success raising over a £1000. Thank you to everyone who entered. New for 2021 was a ‘photo booth’ fundraiser out on the pumpkin fields which was very successful, so we will definitely be doing that again this year. We were able to run our popular Breakfast with Santa and the Grotto.
The money we raise helps the hospice to continue providing specialist palliative care for patients and their families. We would like to thank all of our customers for their support and we look forward to a more normal 2022 for our fundraising events.
Age Connect North East Wales
We were again unable to organise our ‘Bingo Evening’ this year but we hope to have a new date soon. Watch this space for further details.
Bellis’ Coffee Club
Bellis’ Coffee Club started up again in August 2021 and has been well attended with quite a few new members joining us. We organised a coffee club trip to Chirk Castle where a tour of the castle and lunch was enjoyed by all who attended. Everyone is more than welcome to join us, it is a chance to meet up with people regularly for a coffee and catch up. No booking is required. We sometimes have special guests from external groups join us to give friendly advice and information. A special offer is available for all attendees, £3.00 per person for a hot or cold drink with a toasted teacake or slice of Victoria or Coffee sponge or £4.00 for a hot or cold drink with a bacon or sausage sandwich. A member of the Age Connect North East Wales team joins us most weeks.
The Country Trust
During 2021 we were only able to accommodate groups during the month of October. We have been working in partnership with The Country Trust for a few years now, to deliver Farm Discovery Visits to 90 children from 3 local schools. The Country Trust is a small, dynamic, national education charity dedicated to bringing alive the working countryside for children least able to access it. They work with local volunteer host farms to bring food, farming and the countryside to disadvantaged children. Sharing knowledge, igniting curiosity and broadening horizons.
Our local Primary Schools of Holt and Farndon
We hope to be able to work more closely with both our local schools this year as the pandemic restrictions are lifted.
In 2021 children form Holt School visited our pumpkin fields in October and had some fun in the mud.
Farndon School organised a Gardening Project and we helped by donating plants and compost.
We are happy to support our local schools fundraising activities throughout the year.
Holt Community Gardeners
In 2021 we donated the proceeds from our carrier bag charge to this worthy group. The total donated was £275.96. We were also involved and supported the award winning ‘Holt in Bloom’ project.
Cheshire Candles Charity Classic Car Run
We were able to host the finish of this very popular event in September 2021. A wonderful array of classic car beauties joined us on the event paddock after they had finished their drive around the beautiful North Wales countryside. They raise over £3500 each year for charity. This year’s charity was The Hospice of the Good Shepherd, Chester.
Teenage Cancer Trust
One of our regular customers and neighbour actively supports the Teenage Cancer Trust and has raised a phenomenal amount of money for the charity. Enid Waterfall is an inspiration to us all, tirelessly raising money for this charity and always with a smile on her face. We haven’t managed as many collections during 2021 but family members did join us for a collection in November.
1378 Mold Squadron Air Training Corps (Cadets)
We started working with the team at 1378 Mold Squadron in 2019, helping create awareness for them and assisting us with our visitor parking at our larger events. A keen and enthusiastic bunch their help was greatly appreciated. There were no major events for them to help with in 2021 but we hope to be working with them again soon.
Motor Neurone Disease Association North East Wales
Our local MND group held a regular support ‘coffee club’ in the Strawberry Fields Restaurant for those affected in any way by MND. This is usually the first Tuesday of every month and is from 2.30pm until 4pm. This hasn’t been reinstated yet but we hope it will be soon. For further details please visit https://www.mndnortheastwales.org/support-meetings
Local Groups
Many local groups and charities joined us to improve awareness about their group/charity. In 2021 we were joined by: MND Wrexham, Visionsupport, Nightingale House Lottery, World Wildlife Fund and R.S.P.B.
We look forward to an exciting and active 2022 within our community!
