7 June 2O20
Our annual Open Garden to raise money for the Keep Hope Alive Olive Tree Campaign in Palestine was cancelled this year due to the corona virus. This highly popular event attracted some 160 visitors last year who enjoyed not only a unique garden but also delicious cakes, refreshments, and the opportunity to buy unusual hardy plants.
However, we decided to do what we could to fundraise and so opened the garden by appointment for people to wander and to buy plants from the large variety available. Many people came and other supporters made generous donations which, to our surprise and delight, allowed us to raise £1150.
Happily, visitors still come to Westbrook Farm to wander, buy plants, and find out more about Palestine. In a couple of weeks visitors will hopefully be able to buy jam and honey from our bees as well.
The Keep Hope Alive campaign plants thousands of olive trees every year. It provides trees to Palestinian farmers who have lost over a million trees since 2000 during the illegal military occupation of Palestinian territory by Israeli forces and settlers. You can find out more about the inspiring work of the Campaign by going to the website
The olive tree is a symbol of peace, prosperity, and wisdom. It is vital to the small Palestinian economy for its valuable produce. Above all the olive tree is a symbol of hope as epitomised in this extract from the poem Under Siege by Mahmoud Darwish:
Here on the slopes of hills, facing the dusk and the cannon of time
Close to the gardens of broken shadows,
We do what prisoners do,
And what the jobless do:
We cultivate hope
Cina and Jim Zacune Telephone: 01538 300394 Email: zacune@btinternet.com
You can visit the garden, Or
Donate to the campaign by contacting: www.jai-pal.olivetreecampaign
Angela Glendenning
T: 01782-616368