Open Gardens goes virtual for Milton Keynes hospice

Stony Open Gardens is going virtual this year, to help raise funds for Willen Hospice.

Last year the event, which usually attracts hundreds of people, raised a phenomenal £15,500 for the hospice.

But, knowing it couldn't run the same way this year, the volunteer organisers decided to open virtual tours of the gardens instead.

Videographer, Darren McNicol volunteered his time and skills to make the virtual Open Gardens possible. He filmed 10 gardens, two allotments, and North End Pond in Stony Stratford.

The videos take viewers slowly through each garden and allotment, pausing at beautiful plants, close-ups of blooming flowers and ripening vegetables, and panning across lush lawns and stunning landscaping. Darren used nature as the soundtrack for the videos, recording twittering birds and buzzing bees to create a serene atmosphere as though you are actually in the gardens.

Once the videos were completed, Ian and Lucy Swanston, of Nutshell Creatives stepped in, free of charge, to help set up a dedicated website which could showcase the garden videos.

Mason Edwards, Stony Open Gardens volunteer, said: “This has been challenging project to set up, and we could not have managed it without the tremendous amount of work that Darren, Ian and Lucy put in. Little by little the site is bringing in funds to help Willen Hospice during this crisis.”

Nikki Poole, community fundraising manager, said: “We were so pleased when the amazing volunteers from Stony Open Gardens decided to adapt this year’s event rather than cancel it. We are facing a huge loss in income by not being able to do our usual fundraising, so we really needed their support at this time.”

Watch the virtual tours here