Amberley Gardens Open – Sunday 8 June 2014

Households in the picturesque village of Amberley are busily tending their gardens in preparation for the biennial Gardens Open event on Sunday 8 June 2014, which will raise funds for local children’s charity Action Medical Research.

This wonderful community event has been running for 26 years and will see 22 beautiful gardens open to the public as well as the ever-popular plant stall, arts and crafts stall, tombola, ploughman’s lunch and village cream teas. Following the huge success of the 28 local artists and craftsmen and women – both professional and amateur – who exhibited at Creative Amberley, this year few of them have decided to exhibit their work again at the Gardens Open. You will see them in the gardens as you go round so do look out for them and all have work for sale.

Over sixty years ago, Action Medical Research was founded by a former Amberley resident, the late Duncan Guthrie. Early research funded by the charity contributed to the development and rapid adoption of the first oral polio vaccine which eradicated new cases of the disease in the UK. Since then the charity has funded some of the most significant medical breakthroughs in recent history including: the use of ultrasound in pregnancy, the important of taking folic acid during pregnancy to prevent Spina Bifida and more recently supporting the lead researcher whose team helped establish a vaccine for meningitis.

Cyndy Kennett, chairman of the Amberley committee who are organising the Gardens Open Day said ‘This event is hugely enjoyable and its success depends on very many people being involved in helping. The community really pulls together whether it’s baking cakes, selling plants, marshalling cars or opening a garden, it makes for a day to remember’.

Gardens will be open to the public from 12pm to 6pm. Tickets cost £6 (children under 12 FOC) and will be available from The Square, junction Church Street and Church Street, junction Hog Lane. Parking is free and the organisers ask for no dogs please. www.amberleygardensopen.co.uk