VENTNOR BOTANICAL GARDENS - CRY FOR HELP!!!

I'm so sorry to read this news on the VBG ... we visited them in late August this year ... I posted a blog about it. We were very surprised there was no entrance fee charged ... have you considered approaching The National Trust at all ? I do wish you every success, Andrea and shall keep reading this for further comments. : o )

I wish you well too it looks a wonderful place

Hi, we are unable to charge an entrance fee because it is public space. If you have ever visited the Natural History Museum in London, they have a similar set up and physically ask for donations on the doorway as people go in. We would have to adopt a similar set up. The National Trust as well as the RHS are pretty cash poor at the moment and even Kew Gardens is on a scrutiny list drawn up by the Government. Is not a good time to try and ride on the back of any established organisation.
I am applying for funding and trying to get support for our plan. I could pull it off, but not on my own it is too big a project. Lots of delegation needed.

Wishing you every success Andrea......

What a beautiful place - it certainly deserves saving. Well done for all your work, and I hope you'll find the help you need. Wishing you lots of luck . . .

http://www.growsonyou.com/AndreaRichter/blog/2589-beautiful-boxing-day-2008-winter-warmer

Here are a few more pictures - can you believe they were all taken on 26th DECEMBER 2008!!

Andrea, just looked at the blog from 26/12/08 and cannot believe how much was in bloom! We loved the Botanical Gardens so much, in fact OH would happily move over to the island if I were to say yes! : o )

how about the national lottery or even the European Union, saw once that the'yd given money to revamp a seafront

just wondering about a scheme run by some zoos ~ supporters are asked to sponsor a plant and they have their name written up to say thank you? would this work? supporters would have the ability to choose the plant they would like to sponsor

We visited a couple of years ago,and were amazed to see such a beautiful place,absolutely lovely.I truly hope a solution can be found..I'm sorry I can't add to all the
all the suggestions offered,but wish you well in trying to find a way forward...

Hi Andrea! Great to hear from you again, but such a shame that your news is not so good :-((. I remeber your boxing Day pics and blog like it was yesterday. Where is all this going to end, I wonder???? Can't offer any advice, as have never been involved in such a thing. Please keep us posted with developments. Wishing you All the Best of Luck!

Not sure if this is any help at all but in Bournemouth we have two nurseries that are run to by people with mental health problems and they seem to have support because it helps sufferers enjoy life i go there often and have spoken to the all the workers and the support workers the nursery I vistit is Cherry Tree Nurseries Bournemouth perhaps you could contact them for advice on how they got the funding? Good luck Andrea I hope you come up with a solution to save such a wonderful garden.

I don't know if this has any relevance to your plight Andrea but the RSPCA centre where my son in law is manager has 6 charity shops in the area and a scheme whereby volunteers pay monthly amounts via their bank accounts also getting tax relief because they are a charity~ they get no funding from the RSPCA and do all sorts of sponsored walks,parachute drops etc and fund raising open days to keep themselves going.Get yourself on the local radio and newspapers and ask for ideas and help?My daughter recently sponsored a protea in my name at Kew and whilst they might not be able to help you financially it is probably worth asking them for ideas~at the very least have a look at the sponsorship idea?
ask local firms to donate time and money to help~ someone to drop off charity sacks whilst delivering newspapers if you can get some shops up and running it will provide income?
I notice Wakehurst place is also doing weddings~ can you get a volunteer fundraiser to get on the phone and ask for donations
to all the big firms both on the IOW and the mainland?
I take it you have a plant shop etc?leave leaflets asking for donations via monthly direct debits~
hope some of this helps!

The Cycas in your first photo is outstanding.

I really can't help, but I do wish you the very best of luck!

Hi all

All the suggestions are very useful and very similar to the ones we are already focusing on. We want to keep the gardens asa community and social enterprise driven model. We have a thriving population of red squirrels and we are part of the 'Wall Lizard Project', as well as bats and other diverse populations of creatures and plants. There are 2 centres for rehabilitation and learning development projects on the Island that are also having funding pulled by the local authority, we are hoping to take these on also. These is a nursery and with potential staff redundancy, we are hoping to work with staff to encourage them to take this on as a business paying rental back to the development trust. We have a civil ceremony licence, a cafe/restaurant (currently in a contentious situation with the local authority!!). Our Curator and Head Gardener are trained at Kew and we have the facility to provide both corporate and community focused education. There is a lovely visitors centre which has event rooms for private hire. There is a fantastic website/business - The Chelsea Physic Garden and we are hoping to operate in a similar vein to that. I am going to contact them in the next couple of weeks after my initial meeting with the local authority, public and members to ask for advice on their experience and business model. There is a ton of legal stuff to organise, and pay for which is out of my remit and I need to find people to allocate tasks.
As for the local media, I think we will have a very positive backing from them, but we want to be open and honest with the local authority and introduce our plan to them first- you never know, they may learn something!!!

good luck to you, hope you succeed will look for your future blogs