10 fun ways to fundraise for Lemon Tree Trust  

As well as making a one-off or monthly donation to Lemon Tree Trust to support our work, we love seeing members of our community raising funds for us in all sorts of creative and exciting ways.  

So, if you’re eager to help us expand our gardening activities in displaced communities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and beyond, take a look at the ideas below and the inspiring ways people have raised funds for us. 

1. Give the gift of gardens and gardening 

Looking for a thoughtful gift for a friend, family member or colleague?  

When you make a donation to Lemon Tree Trust on behalf of someone special, you can send them our downloadable design, accompanied by your own personalised message. Learn more. 

A donation to Lemon Tree Trust makes a perfect present for the avid gardener in your life, who finds solace in the soil and appreciates the profound joy and benefits that come with cultivating the land. Beyond gardening enthusiasts, it’s an ideal gift for those who advocate for the wellbeing of others, championing the rights of refugees and survivors of war.  

You can make a donation in someone’s name for all sorts of holidays, religious festivals and celebrations – birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day – or in memory of a loved one.

Give a special and lasting present – the gift of gardens and gardening

2. Run a business? Why not donate a percentage of your sales or profits  

Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to have been supported by many people through their businesses or side projects. Kind human beings have donated a percentage of their annual profits or have made a donation from sales of a specific product, course, membership or event to support our work.  

Here’s a small handful of examples of how small businesses and people have helped: 

• Flower grower Grace Alexander made a donation from her Gather membership  

• USA cookbook author and culinary instructor Sarah Owens donated from sales of her ‘Preserving the seasons’ online course  

• UK florists Ashley and Michelle of The Floralistas in the UK, donate a percentage of their profits from their Friday Flowers initiative  

• The team behind Florxl zine donated proceeds from their print publication 

• Annie Guilfoyle and Noel Kingsbury at Garden Masterclass invited their members to make a donation to Lemon Tree Trust when attending special member events 

• Laura at The Singing Leaf, donated via her herbal tea business

• Illustrator Linda Combi has twice donated from her artwork sales 

Featured from left to right: A Seed’s Journey; Surviving the Sun ©Linda Combi.

3. Adopt Lemon Tree Trust as your organisation’s charity of the year 

If the company you work for has a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy or an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policy, and you would like to propose Lemon Tree Trust, we would have love to chat with you to tell you more about our work and send you any relevant literature. Please send a quick intro message to [email protected] and we’ll take it from there.  

4. Organise a garden party  

Invite friends, neighbours or allotment friends over to your green sanctuary for refreshments and ask everyone for a donation. You might like to:   

• Swap or sell seed packets, home-grown produce or flower bouquets (or all three!)  

• Make our herbal tea blend, Sidra 

• Serve tea and cake  

• Get everyone making a floral crown – download our ‘set 1’ activities, developed in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society 

• Host a raffle with garden-related prizes like tools, plants and garden decor. Ask local businesses to donate items and sell tickets to your community 

Or if a party isn’t your thing, you could run a plant sale at your front gate and donate proceeds to Lemon Tree Trust. We are grateful to supporters who have run successful plant sales over the years.  

5. Take part in an adrenaline fuelled challenge and invite sponsorship from friends and family 

Run the London marathon for Lemon Tree Trust like Caroline Hood or the Cardiff Half Marathon like Kirsty Foster, or organise your own fundraising challenge! Whether you’re a keen cyclist or hiker, or fancy a thrill-seeking sky dive, there’s bound to be an event near you to push you outside of your comfort zone, while raising money for your favourite charity. 

It’s simple to create your own fundraising page on JustGiving and start fundraising for us. If you need any guidance, please let us know. And please tell us if you’re planning something, so we can help you to promote it.

London marathon runner Caroline Hood ©Dave Fry

6. Are you a ‘foodie’? Organise a cook along with friends  

Remember when virtual cook alongs and get togethers via video call were a big thing when we were staying home during the Covid-19 pandemic? Well, why not organise a virtual – or in person – cook along with a group of mates, using one of our recipes.  

How this could work:  

• Set a date and time 

• Invite friends and explain the cause 

• Choose from our delicious recipes 

• Share the recipe so everyone can buy ingredients in advance 

• Cook together, then enjoy the meal while sharing stories about food and gardening 

Khanem’s recipe for Tawa

7. Getting married? Request charity donations instead of wedding gifts 

Consider asking your guests to donate to Lemon Tree Trust in lieu of (or alongside) traditional wedding gifts. This is a great option for couples who already have plenty of kitchenware, linens and home items. We’re grateful to couples like David & Sina and Erika & Matthew, who have chosen to support us in this way. 

8. Got school age children or work in education? Organise a gardening event at your school or college 

We believe that gardening is a fantastic activity for children to get involved with from a young age. Children are our gardeners of the future, and learning about where food comes from, growing for food security, together with the physical and health benefits that gardening brings, can only be a good thing for humanity’s future wellbeing and environment.  

As a starting point, you might find our ‘Lenny Lemon’ gardening activity sheets, developed in partnership with The Royal Horticultural Society, useful. These are free to download on our website or you can request printed copies from us by emailing [email protected].  

Over the years, we’ve had many families and several schools learning about gardening, while raising money for Lemon Tree Trust through plant sales and other activities in the USA and UK. Read about how Trinity School students raised funds.

9. Set up a friendly competition 

Our annual garden competitions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq always create excitement and friendly rivalry among neighbours and friends. You can bring this spirit to your own community too! 

Why not start a challenge where participants grow a specific plant or garden within a set timeframe? Participants can document their progress on social media, encouraging friends and family to sponsor their efforts. 

If photography is more your thing, how about hosting a garden photo contest. Participants can submit pictures of their gardens and the winning images can be shared on social media. 

These events not only add a bit of fun but also raise awareness about our work. By charging a modest entry fee, you’ll also generate funds to support our mission. 

Khatun Rasho Khalaf standing in her garden Kabartu 2 camp holding her 1st place 2024 Annual Garden Competitions certificate

10. Organise a talk or event at your local gardening group, WI or u3a 

While we are a small team with limited resources, we have capacity to deliver up to two talks a year via video link or within 50 miles of Bristol, UK. In 2023 we had the pleasure of speaking at the Hilmarton Gardening Club in Wiltshire. 

Occasionally we can travel further afield to speak at gardening events such as the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show and Gardening Scotland. Please get in touch if you would like to explore an idea for a talk or event by emailing us at [email protected].

Get in touch 

If you’re planning a fundraising event for Lemon Tree Trust, let us know so we can provide information and help with promotion. Thank you for your incredible support and kindness. Email us at [email protected]. 

Thank you!