The bills are all in and the accounts are finalised so we can now report on another bumper year for Secret Gardens 2023.
We sold about 4,000 tickets for over £35,000. The Toosey family organised the raffle and the refreshments at Prenton Pep and took in over £5,000. Donations, Sponsorship, Merchandise and fees from stall-holders brought in nearly £8,000. The total income was about £48,000. The Plant Stall made about £1,100 for the Friends of the Arno. The Woodcraft Folk got over £600 for providing kids’ entertainment.
Putting on Secret Gardens safely and efficiently is a surprisingly expensive affair. The total cost was nearly £12,000.
This leaves the magnificent sum of about £36,000 to share between the Oxton Society and our partner charities – the Terral Morgan Memorial Fund, Sundowns and the Birkenhead Youth Club, who get about £25,000 between them. The Oxton Society gets nearly £11,000 which supplements our modest membership fees and helps to pay for our community and conservation work, including Xmas Lights, Hanging Baskets, Newsletters, History work, including Blue Plaques and our admin costs.
Special thanks go to our joint coordinators, Kirsty Cotton and Lisa Stafford and all those who manage different aspects of the day. Also, to Monica Toosey, who is retiring from leading the refreshments team after many years, and Kate Wyness, retiring from overseeing the artisan stalls.
Finally, a huge thank-you to our very special garden owners who provide the core attraction for a great day out.