Garden centre spreads Christmas cheer in Portslade with donations of trees

Mayberry Garden Centre in Portslade has been spreading Christmas cheer in the local community with fresh, British-grown trees given to Southwick Methodist Church, Fishersgate Community Centre, and Mill View Hospital’s Brunswick Ward.

“We chose a drop-resistant traditional Nordmann tree because it will look good and not make a mess”, said the garden centre’s plant manager Michael Leach who made the deliveries which were warmly received.

At Southwick Methodist Church, a grateful Juliet Scarratt said: “Our Christmas Tree is a community tree where we invite people to bring decorations to place on it. This year we will have lights on the tree, so making it more visible and attractive at night.”

Jo Marshall-Inns Fishersgate Community Centre said how the donated tree will make a huge difference to the local community. “We have people of all ages through the doors and are opening as a Warm Space, too.”

At the 15-bed Brunswick Ward for dementia patients of Hove’s Mill View Hospital, Gillian Sarjudeen commented: “This lovely tree will help our patients to be orientated to the time of year as well as have increased well-being over the Christmas period. A real Christmas tree provides them with a positive sensory experience of sight, touch and smell, at a time when they be missing familiar home environments and family.

“Last year one patient who rarely interacted with others and was quite withdrawn began spontaneously speaking about the Christmas tree.”