Otter Garden Centres marks 60th year with record-breaking fundraising for Hospiscare

Otter Garden Centres in Ottery St Mary has wrapped up its 60th anniversary celebrations by raising a record £37,000 for local charity Hospiscare - nearly double its original £20,000 target.

The highlight was Otter’s ‘Festive Adventure for Hospiscare’, which saw families enjoy a magical Christmas experience, including a winter wonderland, animated reindeer singalongs, and a land train ride. Hospiscare volunteers played a key role, helping children make reindeer food and write letters to Santa. A dedicated evening for children with special educational needs (SEN) was particularly well received.

Lara White, granddaughter of Otter’s founders, helped run the event. She said: “It was lovely to see families enjoying the Christmas magic in such an authentic way; there were plenty of smiles and happy faces.”

Beyond the Festive Adventure, Otter’s charity team and Hospiscare volunteers organised raffles, quizzes, and tombolas, raising an additional £14,000. Charity team member Lauren Pearcy, whose mother was cared for by Hospiscare, says it was a team effort: “The whole team really got behind the fundraising—we couldn’t have done it without the incredible support of Otter staff and Hospiscare volunteers.”

Lara and Lauren revealed the total raised at a special thank-you event for the volunteers. Hospiscare Area Fundraiser Toni Hiscocks said: “On behalf of everyone at Hospiscare we would like to extend our deepest thanks for the incredible support and generosity of Otter. The Festive Adventure was a truly magical event, bringing joy to so many families - and of course our volunteers - whilst raising essential funds for Hospiscare.

"We are so grateful for the continued partnership and support of Otter, especially during their special anniversary year. The business also supports our Open Garden and Christmas Tree Campaign, and the vital funds raised means we can continue our work enabling local families to receive the specialist end-of-life care they need during the most difficult time.”

In a further boost, Otter announced that Hospiscare will remain its chosen charity for 2025, marking a sixth consecutive year of support; since 2019, the business has raised over £71,000 for the cause.

Otter MD, Jacqui Taylor added: “As a family-run business, we’re committed to supporting our community. Hospiscare provides a crucial service to that community, and I can’t wait to see what we achieve together this year.”