Pearl and Iris' Garden Makeover
Donation protected
Provisional date for starting the project is 12th June. Spades at the ready!
**Update again**
Good news! Lindley Landscapes have been out, measured up and discussed a design for the garden. There is quite a lot of work involved and they will do what he can to help but typically it will cost around £5,000 to sort properly.
So the plan is to beg, borrow (forever) and steal (not illegally) some of the essential items from companies that can donate the materials or donate cash or vouchers. So, if you know of any generous builders merchants, garden supplies or others then please let us know or contact them if possible.
Here is the list of things we need to source:
Fence posts
Fencing - Composite if possible
Indian flags stones around 20 square metres
Summer house 2m x 2m maximum in size
Decking - composite 10 square metres
BBQ/Fire pit/Chiminea
Table and chairs
I know we won't get them all but the crowd funding should cover what is missing.
I can start to feel really positive about this now and believe it is really happening, so thank you everyone who has helped to get to this stage.
** UPDATE**
I have been asked to increase the target to make sure that we get the summer house included. Again, I am overwhelmed by everyone's support with this and will always be thankful, you have already made a difference to our lives. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
My friend Jodie Lopez entered us into a 'Win £1000 makeover for your garden' competition. Even though we got shortlisted with 7350 votes, nearly 2,500 more than the second place, the judges chose another well deserving entry to win.
Click here to see a photo of the garden.
https://www.mybuilder.com/competitions/garden-makeover-2017/entries/4456
Here is what Jodie wrote:
'My friend recently experienced a nightmare scenario. Her husband passed away unexpectedly in his sleep, leaving her and their two daughters, age 3 and 4, lives in turmoil. As he was a stay at home dad and she was the main wage earner it has added extra complications. She has lost her job as it involved travelling abroad, which she now cannot do obviously while keeping a stable homelife for the girls, so is now setting up her own company from home which has caused some financial instability. Not expecting to be alone raising her girls at a young age she has been a rock for them, keeping them in routines and having as much fun as possible, whilst dealing with her and their ongoing grief and sadness. She has recently done an amazing job of improving their house on the inside, repainting the kitchen cabinets, buying bargain furniture pieces to upcycle and giving the house a new lease of life to help move them all forward from this tragedy. But the garden is drawing a blank. It is a very uninspiring space and she is not the green fingered sort! I know she would love for the girls to have a wonderful outdoor space to run around in and forget their worries for a while. Please help her to make their garden environment as full of warmth and love as she has done inside the house. Those girls deserve a change in fortune. I am Nottingham based but they are living in Halifax.'
So we are now looking to crowd fund the garden makeover instead as it still needs sorting out in time for summer. We are in desperate need of somewhere to enjoy some sunshine, play, have friends round, drink coffee and just have time to work out what our new normal is while creating some lasting positive memories while the girls are young.
The grass is boggy and unmanageable. The top soil is 2cm deep and below is full of rubble. So we would love to have some raised beds with flowers, some flagged space for toys and a paddling pool and if we can afford it a little summer house with bunting and fairy lights.
Can you help please? It would make such a huge difference, not just to the girls but to me too as life is just a bit tough right now from all angles. Being Mum and Dad is the hardest job while trying to grieve at the same time.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story.
**Update again**
Good news! Lindley Landscapes have been out, measured up and discussed a design for the garden. There is quite a lot of work involved and they will do what he can to help but typically it will cost around £5,000 to sort properly.
So the plan is to beg, borrow (forever) and steal (not illegally) some of the essential items from companies that can donate the materials or donate cash or vouchers. So, if you know of any generous builders merchants, garden supplies or others then please let us know or contact them if possible.
Here is the list of things we need to source:
Fence posts
Fencing - Composite if possible
Indian flags stones around 20 square metres
Summer house 2m x 2m maximum in size
Decking - composite 10 square metres
BBQ/Fire pit/Chiminea
Table and chairs
I know we won't get them all but the crowd funding should cover what is missing.
I can start to feel really positive about this now and believe it is really happening, so thank you everyone who has helped to get to this stage.
** UPDATE**
I have been asked to increase the target to make sure that we get the summer house included. Again, I am overwhelmed by everyone's support with this and will always be thankful, you have already made a difference to our lives. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
My friend Jodie Lopez entered us into a 'Win £1000 makeover for your garden' competition. Even though we got shortlisted with 7350 votes, nearly 2,500 more than the second place, the judges chose another well deserving entry to win.
Click here to see a photo of the garden.
https://www.mybuilder.com/competitions/garden-makeover-2017/entries/4456
Here is what Jodie wrote:
'My friend recently experienced a nightmare scenario. Her husband passed away unexpectedly in his sleep, leaving her and their two daughters, age 3 and 4, lives in turmoil. As he was a stay at home dad and she was the main wage earner it has added extra complications. She has lost her job as it involved travelling abroad, which she now cannot do obviously while keeping a stable homelife for the girls, so is now setting up her own company from home which has caused some financial instability. Not expecting to be alone raising her girls at a young age she has been a rock for them, keeping them in routines and having as much fun as possible, whilst dealing with her and their ongoing grief and sadness. She has recently done an amazing job of improving their house on the inside, repainting the kitchen cabinets, buying bargain furniture pieces to upcycle and giving the house a new lease of life to help move them all forward from this tragedy. But the garden is drawing a blank. It is a very uninspiring space and she is not the green fingered sort! I know she would love for the girls to have a wonderful outdoor space to run around in and forget their worries for a while. Please help her to make their garden environment as full of warmth and love as she has done inside the house. Those girls deserve a change in fortune. I am Nottingham based but they are living in Halifax.'
So we are now looking to crowd fund the garden makeover instead as it still needs sorting out in time for summer. We are in desperate need of somewhere to enjoy some sunshine, play, have friends round, drink coffee and just have time to work out what our new normal is while creating some lasting positive memories while the girls are young.
The grass is boggy and unmanageable. The top soil is 2cm deep and below is full of rubble. So we would love to have some raised beds with flowers, some flagged space for toys and a paddling pool and if we can afford it a little summer house with bunting and fairy lights.
Can you help please? It would make such a huge difference, not just to the girls but to me too as life is just a bit tough right now from all angles. Being Mum and Dad is the hardest job while trying to grieve at the same time.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story.
Organizer
Helen Daykin
Organizer