Fairhaven Primary School’s ‘Fun’raising’ Day on June 6 raised £555.34p for Fairhaven Woodland and Garden’s boathouse restoration appeal, enough to buy 317 brotch pins for the boathouse roof. The South Walsham school has also generously donated surplus books and DVDs from the day, which will be sold at Fairhaven Garden. 

Louise Rout, Fairhaven Garden Manager was invited to Fairhaven Primary School’s assembly on Friday, June 20 to receive a cheque from the school’s students.

Louise Rout said: “I really value the support and enthusiasm of the staff and students at Fairhaven Primary School and would like to thank them for this fantastic donation. I was very impressed with the children’s commitment to our boathouse project, with their posters for the event encouraging students and their families to ‘come along and make a difference’. I’m looking to forward to welcoming the children when they visit the garden and see the progress on the boathouse next month.”

David Muff, teacher at Fairhaven Primary School, who co-ordinated the ‘Fun’raising’ Day said: “The children came up with ideas for activities and also wanted to run the stalls, including books and DVDs, tombola, speed stacking, hook the duck and splat the teacher. We have a wonderful connection with Fairhaven Garden and wanted to show what a special place it is for us.”

Fairhaven launched a public appeal at the end of April to help save the 19th century thatched boathouse beside the garden’s private broad. Structural work on the boathouse and thatching will cost £35,000. The Fairhaven Garden Trust had raised £20,000 for the project, including a £4,000 donation from Geoffrey Watling Charity, but a further £15,000 was needed to complete the restoration of one of the last remaining traditional wet boathouses on the Broads.

Visitors and friends of the garden have been asked to sponsor a sheaf of local Ranworth reed at £7 a bundle, or a sheaf of sedge at £10 a bundle, or buy a hazel brotch pin at £1.75 for the project. So far £4,600 has been raised including a donation of £100 from the Maids Head Hotel in Norwich, following the City of Ale festival.

“It has been brilliant”, added Louise Rout, “we have had donations from people who have never been to the garden, as well as visitors on holiday in Norfolk. All the bundles of sedge have been sponsored and donations from talks to local groups have gone to the appeal fund. We are also selling individual boathouse shaped chocolate cakes in the tearoom in aid of the project.”

“We would love to hear from anyone who would like to do a sponsored walk or run in aid of the boathouse fund, or stage a fundraising coffee morning or tea party. We would be very happy to come along to special events and talk about the garden and plans for the boathouse.”

Donations to can be made online at www.totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/fairhaven or in person at Fairhaven Garden, School Road, South Walsham NR13 6DZ, t. 01603 270449, [email protected], www.fairhavengarden.co.uk.

Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden is open daily 10am to 5pm (closed Christmas Day and closes 4pm in the winter), also open Wednesdays until 9pm from May to the end of August. Entry is adult £6.10, concessions £5.60 and child £3.60 (under 5 free).