Perennial is the UK’s only charity dedicated to helping people in horticulture. As our current chosen charity, we are delighted to be donating all money raised from our charity fundraising activities to support them in their vital work for our industry.
Originally founded in a London pub in 1839 as ‘The Gardener’s Benevolent Institution’, Perennial was first established to provide pensions for gardeners and to ensure that, like so many other trades in that period, gardeners had a benevolent fund to support them in times of need. Now Perennial’s support extends to anything from funding training, budgeting advice and housing help to a legal helpline. Whatever the problem, Perennial aims to be there to provide a helping hand to anyone working with plants, trees, flowers or grass. Perennial’s Fundraising Manager, Ed Charles, says, “Our work is regularly described as a ‘lifeline’ for people in the horticulture industry.”
Speaking at the launch of the partnership, STIHL GB’s Head of Marketing, Simon Hewitt, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Perennial, a charity whose purpose is so closely linked to our own values. In pledging our support to Perennial and combining our efforts we hope together we can help many more people in horticulture.”
Phil Swainston, Perennial’s Corporate Partnership Manager, said: “The financial and social pressures faced by individuals working in, and retired from, horticulture are acute, particularly in today's challenging economic climate where horticulture professionals often contend with relatively low pay and the physical demands of their work. Perennial serves as a lifeline for many in our community, and thus, STIHL’s invaluable support plays a crucial role in our ability to assist those within the horticulture community.”
Here at STIHL GB, we kickstarted our fundraising at the opening of our new building, by auctioning wood sculptures by chainsaw carver Simon O’Rourke; using an MS 500i chainsaw to create a sculpture of an MS 500i seemed a fitting way to celebrate STIHL and the start of our partnership and we raised £6,000 for the charity. We also saw 5 intrepid members of STIHL staff embark on a challenging 100km sponsored bike ride through the Surrey Hills, helping to add to the fundraising pot. And we decided to get creative by bringing the sharpest cuts in town to the APF Exhibition 2024, hosting a team of barbers in our STIHL on Tour mobile showroom and giving haircuts to anyone at the show in return for a donation to perennial. Along with carving personalised cookies at the Royal Three Counties Show and holding raffles, bake sales and car washes we hope to have raised a total of £10,000 by the end of 2024.
180.jpg.transform/impressionslide-mq1-dpr2/img.jpg)
Simon O'Rourke, tree carving artist, working on the MS 500i sculpture at our grand opening event
244.jpg.transform/impressionslide-mq1-dpr2/img.jpg)
MS 500i chainsaw carving by Simon O'Rourke
100km sponsored bike ride through the Surrey Hills, STIHL staff raising money for Perennial
STIHL on Tour at the APF Exhibition 2024 raising money for Perennial by offering free haircuts in return for a donation
243.jpg.transform/impressionslide-mq1-dpr2/img.jpg)
The original STIHL Contra chainsaw. Carving by Simon O'Rourke
As well as supporting through monetary donations we have launched the STIHL equipment replacement fund, to help those in need with donations of tools and PPE. At STIHL our goal is to make people’s lives easier when working in and with nature and we hope that with this Perennial partnership we can help the growing numbers of people in need of assistance in our sector.
To learn more about the incredible work Perennial does or to make a donation, visit their website.
