"We are all really proud of him for doing this for charity”
When George Evans does a 24-hour bike ride round the Selby area, starting on Friday June 17th and finishing at noon on Saturday June 18th, he will be supported by his colleagues, friends and family, which includes one of his biggest supporters - his daughter Cathy, Preston Baker’s Head of Client Services.
“He has been doing lots of training rides and we are all really proud of him for doing this for charity,” said Cathy.
Horticulturalist George, a Director of Irrigatia, a company based in Norwoods, Long Drax, Selby, which manufactures a solar automatic watering system, is currently spending his time away from work training for the 24-hour bike ride to raise money for the gardening for health charity Thrive. Thrive uses gardening to bring about positive changes in the lives of people living with disabilities, ill health, those who are isolated, disadvantaged and vulnerable.
“Irrigatia has supplied solar powered watering kits to the Thrive sites in the UK in order to free up the therapists time so they can spend more time with people and keep plants alive when it is not possible for anyone to water them,” said George, who lives in Long Drax.
“I am also keen to do more for the charity, as it does such great work, and I did a dawn to dusk fundraising bike ride last year, and this year am doing a 24-hour bike ride in the Long Drax area, starting on Friday June 17th, and finishing at noon on Saturday June 18th.”
Despite a few weeks off for Covid, George says his training is going well and while he is looking forward to the ride, he says he is also looking forward to noon on Saturday June 18th!
“Thrive relies heavily on the generosity and kindness of the public and they need help to ensure they can continue to change lives with gardening through social and therapeutic horticulture,” said George.
Thrive is dedicated and passionate about the health benefits that gardening, horticulture and spending time in nature can bring and its aim is to ensure that people with varying needs have the opportunity to access therapeutic gardening and horticultural programmes, wherever they live, and are actively encouraged to use gardening as part of their personal health and wellbeing management.
The charity has over 40 years’ experience of an approach called social and therapeutic horticulture, where trained horticultural therapists work with plants and people to improve an individual’s physical and psychological health, communication and thinking skills.
Gardening can bring profound positive change, from improvements in physical and mental well-being to gaining skills, knowledge and abilities.
Find out more about Thrive
If you would like to sponsor George go to his JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/GeorgeEvansThrive
Good luck from everyone at Preston Baker George!
Pictures show George training and handing over a watering kit at the Thrive Battersea Gardening Project.
