Sway Open Gardens raises £16,784 for Oakhaven Hospice

On Sunday 7th June, Sway villagers opened their gardens to raise funds for their local hospice.

Oakhaven Hospice and Sway Gardening Club are delighted to announce that Sway Open Gardens raised a total of £16,784. This figure dramatically exceeds all expectations, particularly in view of the rather inclement weather leading up to the event.

Eighteen beautiful village gardens of different shapes and sizes were opened to visitors at this popular biennial event in the heart of the New Forest National Park, with over a thousand people attending over the course of the day. There were 250 more attendees than at the previous Sway Open Gardens in 2024, and some gardens reported over 700 visitors through their gates.

The plant stall at Sway Youth Centre was popular throughout the day, along with the refreshments in the St Luke’s Church Rooms, where local music groups and choirs provided excellent entertainment. Many of the gardens offered entertainment and refreshments or picnic spots, with some also selling arts and crafts.

Jill West, Fundraising Manager for Community and Events at Oakhaven Hospice, said, “Thank you to everyone who supported Sway Open Gardens 2026. We would like to sincerely thank the Sway Gardening Club for organising the event in support of the Hospice. Their dedication and countless hours behind the scenes made the event truly special.

Thank you also to all the local businesses, drivers, performers, garden owners and everyone who attended, donors of plants, cakes and raffle prizes, entertainers and the many, many volunteers who all came together to make this event such a fun, memorable and successful day - we are hugely grateful.”

All funds raised will help Oakhaven to support local patients facing end of life, and their families. Oakhaven currently supports over 600 patients and their families at any time, in the Hospice and in homes throughout the New Forest, Totton and Waterside community. Oakhaven’s specialist hospice care is provided free of charge, yet just 14% of its annual costs are covered by the government. For the remainder, Oakhaven relies on the generosity of its community’s kind donations, fundraising and gifts in wills, along with income from charity shops and its home care provider, Oakhaven Care.

Oakhaven’s next fundraising event is the popular Family Fun Day, taking place in the beautiful Oakhaven gardens on Saturday, 27th June from 12-4 pm. Everyone is welcome!

Click here to support Oakhaven Hospice