Hoveton Hall artists join forces to raise funds for East Anglian Air Ambulance

Artist and stroke victim Gary Saunders shows new work at Hoveton Hall Gardens Sculpture Trail

Gary Saunders, one of the artists involved in the Hoveton Hall Gardens Sculpture Trail, recently suffered a major stroke that nearly killed him. He was airlifted from his home to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, and he and his wife believe it was the rapid response of the Air Ambulance that saved his life.

Despite only recently regaining his ability to write, Gary has contributed a new piece of work to the Hoveton Hall Sculpture Trail. Drawing on his roots as a blacksmith, Gary has welded horseshoes to form a piece depicting mushrooms and when it sells, all the money will go to the East Anglian Air Ambulance. Other artists including Gary’s wife Lynne, are also donating to the charity.

Rachel Buxton of Hoveton Hall, who organises the event, also happens to work for the East Anglian Air Ambulance charity and said: “It was never my intention to make our Sculpture Trail solely about fundraising, but I am really delighted by the kindness and generosity of so many of our participating artists.”

The Hoveton Hall Sculpture Trail, which runs throughout July, offers visitors a diverse collection of sculptures designed to complement and enrich the Gardens’ spectacular setting. The exhibition sees the work of twelve artists including Berni Marfleet, Heather Graham, Jonathan Chapman, Joy Whiddett, Pia Zocca, Lesley Ash, Sue Windley, Chris White, Mary Richardson and Patricia Francis.

“Last year was the first sculpture trail and was something of an experiment”, says Rachel’s husband and co-organiser Harry Buxton. “This year the quality of the art is even better and there are many pieces included which are themed around the gardens. We have included a children’s sculpture trail with pieces hidden in nooks and crannies. There’s something for everyone.”

Admission prices are £7.00 for adults, 4-16 year olds get in for £3.50 and under 4s enter for free. Family tickets (two adults and two children) are priced at £19.00 and OAPs get a concessionary rate of £6.50. Wheelchair users and carers enter for £5 each. Other facilities include the tea rooms, plant sales, gift shop and guided tours. The gardens are open Tuesday – Friday and Sunday, 10.30am to 5.00pm. Last admission 4.00pm. Hoveton Hall Gardens is situated at the edge of the Norfolk Broads, just north of Wroxham. Follow brown and white tourist signs off the A1151.

For more information visit www.hovetonhallgardens.co.uk or call 01603 782558 or 07825 517647.

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About Hoveton Hall: Set at the edge of the Norfolk Broads, Hoveton Hall Gardens is a delightful mix of formal and informal planting across the seasons. The Hall itself (which is not open to the public), was built between 1809 and 1812 is attributed to Humphry Repton. The walled Kitchen Garden and layout of the ‘Spider Garden’ are shown on maps as early as 1841. Extensive work to the Water Gardens was carried out in the 1920s, by Geoffrey Buxton, and much of the collection of rhododendrons and azaleas was planted under his direction by Waterers Nurseries. The gardens are home to an 18^th century ice well and an early 19th century glass house – one of only three of its type in the country. The Arboretum has over 200 specimen trees and the Kidney Lake attracts kingfishers and grey herons.

www.hovetonhallgardens.co.uk

Notes to editors concerning the East Anglian Air Ambulance

Despite receiving no direct government or lottery funding, the East Anglian Air Ambulance Charity saves lives every day of the year. We are a local charity, owned and funded by the people of East Anglia.

We perform three essential roles:

We treat patients at the scene of their accident or emergency (we take the emergency department to the patient)
We transfer patients to hospital rapidly, when appropriate
We can fly to the most inaccessible places and to anywhere in East Anglia within 25 minutes

We operate two dedicated air ambulances, 365 days a year, across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. By January 2014 fundraising target will be £6million a year to maintain our fleet of helicopters and the extended service into the hours of darkness. We work in partnership with the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) and with Essex and Hertfordshire Air Ambulance to provide a comprehensive service across all six counties. Our crew are specially trained NHS doctors and critical care paramedics and we play a crucial role in the provision of trauma care throughout the region.

For more information about the East Anglian Air Ambulance Charity, contact the charity on 0845 066 9999 or visit our website at www.eaaa.org.uk , or follow us on Facebook: East Anglian Air Ambulance Charity and Twitter: @EastAngliAirAmb

Media Contact

Helen Dodman

Press and PR Manager

T: 01473 745007

M: 07515 629617

E: helen.dodman@eaaa.org.uk