TO celebrate the festive period, Ongar Garden Centre has donated a light-up reindeer to the SNAP Charity as part of its Christmas Magic community campaign.

The campaign which was run by the UK’s largest family-run group, British Garden Centres, saw residents from the local area asked to nominate a worthy group, garden, charity or hospice that has gone above and beyond to receive the reindeer to light up the community and spread festive cheer.

Denise Lagdon nominated SNAP for the competition saying: ” They are a charity that supports children with special needs and their parents. They do an absolutely amazing job providing support sessions for the children and advice and guidance for parents and carers and do some amazing activities and fundraising- without them, many parents of special needs children would have no- one to support them “

Amy Stubbs, Project and Development Manager at British Garden Centres said, “We are incredibly proud of the active role British Garden Centres plays in its local communities, and that’s particularly important at this time of year. We are delighted to donate this light reindeer as a symbol of joy, Christmas magic, and community spirit during the festive season.”

British Garden Centres (BGC) is the UK’s largest family-owned garden centre group with 65 centres around the country. The group is owned and led by The Stubbs family, who also own and operate Woodthorpe Leisure Park in Lincolnshire.
BGC was launched in 1987 with the opening of Woodthorpe Garden Centre by brothers Charles and Robert Stubbs. Since 2018 it has expanded rapidly with the acquisition of 50 garden centres allowing it to grow from its heartland to the business it is now with 65 garden centres spread from Carmarthen to Ramsgate, Wimborne to East Durham.

The group has a team of 2,700 colleagues working across the garden centres, restaurants, growing nurseries, distribution centres, Woodthorpe Leisure Park, and Woody’s Restaurant & Bar.