Free Captain Tom roses for Burgess Hill nursing homes, hospices and community gardens

Cathy Barnett, in her garden with the roses. Photo taken by Paul Barnett.

Burgess Hill in Bloom is offering a free Harkness ‘Captain Tom’ hybrid tea rose to any Burgess Hill nursing home, community garden, hospice or similar group who would like one.

They are worth £20 and for every rose sold, £2.50 goes to the Captain Tom Foundation for the NHS.

Captain Sir Thomas Moore raised more than £32 million for NHS Charities Together by completing one hundred 25-metre lengths of his garden, starting on Monday, April 6 2020.

He was 100-years-old when he died after contracting Covid-19 and pneumonia on Tuesday, February 2.

Cathy Barnett, chairman of Burgess Hill in Bloom, said: "We want to do this in memory of the year 2020, the year of Covid-19.

"A small label will be attached showing they were donated by Burgess Hill in Bloom.

"To claim one of these lovely red bush roses, which smell beautiful and bloom the whole Summer long, please contact Cathy Barnett, on email [email protected], or telephone on 01444 244617.

"We cannot deliver, so you would have to collect yours from Station Road, Burgess Hill."

Any of the 20 roses that are left after one month will be sold for a charity donation.