Haywards Heath Deputy Mayor proud to support the DVLCC Open Garden event at Lambeth Palace

A special reception was held for supporters of the charity who were allowed to explore one of the oldest gardens in England, founded in 1197, and take a guided tour of the library collection dating back to the 9th century.

Deputy Mayor, Cllr Duncan Pascoe, said: “I was honoured to be invited to DVLCC’s garden party. The event was well-attended in spite of the weather and it was such a privilege to spend the day in Lambeth Palace gardens. We were all thoroughly entertained by performances by the D-Day Juniors and Britain’s Got Talent winner, Colin Thackery, with refreshments kindly provided by Kingscote Vinyard. It was also an excellent opportunity to hear from volunteers of DVLCC and other guests that have supported the charity over the years. I am also delighted to announce that the raffle running at the event raised over £4,000 for the charity which will help train staff to support local families.

"The charity does outstanding work for families raising children with cerebral palsy and motor learning impairments. I know this, because I have family members that DVLCC have directly supported over the years and I know the work they do is genuinely life changing. DVLCC are based in Cuckfield and we are incredibly fortunate to have them on our doorstep.”

Tracy Shaw, Head of Fundraising at the Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity added: “Dame Vera Lynn Children's Charity was proud to be invited once again by Lambeth Palace to host an Open garden event in the private grounds. We were delighted that Mr Duncan Pascoe, Deputy Mayor of Haywards Heath was one of the guests. Colin Thackery, winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2019 and war veteran, provided musical entertainment, along with the D-Day Juniors.”

Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the leader of the Anglican Church. It is located on the south bank of the River Thames, opposite the Palace of Westminster. With a long and fascinating history, the Palace dates back to the 13th century, and comprises a chapel, a library, 10 acres of beautiful and historic gardens, and several buildings from different periods of architecture.

Tracy continues: “Dame Vera Lynn Children's Charity is the leading organisation in SE England that provides early intervention for children under 5 with cerebral palsy throughout the year. We have the most comprehensive range of services, such as Conductive Education sessions, music therapy, swimming, speech and language therapy, and home-based family support. All our services are free for the families. The children we support all have difficulties with movement and many require assistance with basic skills like holding their heads up, sitting, standing, walking and communication.”

The Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity (DVLCC)

The Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity helps children under 5 with cerebral palsy and other motor learning impairments, make the best possible start in life, providing the families with the support and skills to continue their development at home. They celebrate the children they work with, no matter their ability, to show parents and the wider world everything they can do.

To find out more about the DVLCC, visit dvlcc.org.uk/