An open gardens weekend at Mountbatten Hampshire raised over £2,600 and welcomed a host of visitors — including some who had not previously seen our hospice building.

On 19 and 20 July, the garden gates were thrown open, raising a fabulous £2,641.61 towards providing care and support for people dealing with death and dying across Southampton and large parts of Hampshire.

For Mountbatten Hampshire, Ella Saggers, said: “What a lovely weekend we had — including welcoming our special guests: the Lord Mayor of Southampton, the Mayor Of Eastleigh and Eastleigh MP, Liz Jarvis.

Photos: Above, from left, Mountbatten's Ella Saggers with Lord Mayor of Southampton, Cllr James Baillie and consort, Becky Baillie. Below, from left, Cllr Sarah Turl, consort of the Mayor of Eastleigh, Cllr Janice Asman, with incoming Mountbatten CEO, Becky McGregor.

“It was incredibly worthwhile to be able to invite members of our community to our hospice and gardens in West End, Southampton and to give them a glimpse of the expert care we provide, 24/7, in homes and in our inpatient unit, across Southampton and large parts of Hampshire.”

Mountbatten Hampshire has been named among the Lord Mayor of Southampton, Cllr James Baillie’s, charities of the year. He attended with consort, Becky Baillie.

The Mayor of Eastleigh, Cllr Janice Asman, accompanied by Cllr Sarah Turl, was given a guided tour by incoming Mountbatten CEO, Becky McGregor.

Above: Eastleigh MP, Liz Jarvis with the Mountbatten Hampshire team. Below: Cream teams in our cafe proved to be a winner.

Eastleigh MP, Liz Jarvis, also attended the event, later posting that it was ‘lovely to visit the fantastic open garden and meet the amazing staff and volunteers.’

Ella said: “Our gardening volunteers went to a huge amount of effort to make our grounds look beautiful, while our catering team pulled out the stops to provide delicious cream teas.

“If you weren’t able to pop in over the weekend, don’t worry! We would be delighted to see you in our café, which is open to the public, and in our beautiful gardens.”

Meanwhile, on Sunday, 27 July, Mountbatten Hampshire's gardens will host Remembering With Ribbons, where visitors are invited to tie a ribbon in memory of a loved-one.

CLICK HERE for more details and to attend the Mountbatten Hampshire Remembering With Ribbons event, this weekend.