Customers at garden centres in The Garden Centre Group (GCG) nationwide have helped raise £4,900 for Help for Heroes, and the money was recently presented to a charity representative.
The 129 garden centres stocked a new sweet pea variety in aid of Help for Heroes and 35 pence from the sale of every pot of plants, priced at £1.99, was collected for the charity.

GCG plants buyer Mark Sage said the group was delighted with the amount raise. He said: "Grower, Nursery Fresh, which grew the sweet pea from seed supplier, Orchard Nurseries (Terrington) Ltd, chose The Garden Centre Group as a stockist. Five pence from every 35p donation comes from Nursery Fresh and 5p from Orchard Nurseries. The remaining 25p comes from The Garden Centre Group.

"We'd like to thank all of our customers, Nursery Fresh and Orchard Nurseries for helping us raise the cash for this very worthy cause."

Mr Sage recently presented a cheque for £4,900 to the charity's Middlesex county co-ordinator Maggie Goodwin.

Help for Heroes' chief executive officer and co-founder Bryn Parry said: "Help for Heroes would like to express their gratitude and appreciation for the fantastic fundraising efforts of The Garden Centre Group, and the brilliant donation they have made.

"We have been able to use the millions of pounds raised, over £141million in just five years, to provide practical, direct support to wounded, injured and sick Service personnel, veterans and their families.

"The money you raise is needed, it is being used and it is hugely appreciated, sadly, we need a great deal more. You are part of something that is very British and wonderful and I would like to say thank you to The Garden Centre Group for this, and every other fundraising event that it inspires."