What we do
The Daisy Garland charity was set up in November 2004 to keep Daisy’s memory alive and to help other little children like her.
We fund an increasing number of Ketogenic Dietitians who work in National Health Hospitals treating hundreds of children with intractable epilepsy.
We are the only UK charity funding Ketogenic Dietitians - each dietitian costs in the region of £26,000 per annum. If you think you could help us fund our next Daisy Garland Ketogenic Dietitian go to HOW YOU CAN HELP. Be in touch today.
> Daisy's story
> The Ketogenic Diet
> Our Ketogenic
dietitians
> Stories
> Latest news
> How you can help
> Media coverage
Latest news
Our Picnic
Balloon Race
Refreshment Stall
The Ursuline High Wimbledon Junior Choir
Barrel Organ
Grace's Letter
Grace & Rebecca
Home-made Produce
Daniel & Family
Bailey & Family
Paint a plate Stall
Wendy & Grace
The daisy bunting fluttered in the warm breeze against a deep blue sky and as Serena and Vera slogged it out on Centre Court we, and a small army of loyal supporters, set up stalls in the tranquil setting of Holland Gardens, West Wimbledon.
Slowly but surely our 2010 Family Day Picnic and Balloon Race took shape. In trundled the Barrel Organ, then came The Ursuline High Wimbledon Junior Choir, Neville Sinclair the Magician and The London Fire Brigade with their latest engine.
And the sun shone on -
Trestle tables, spread with pretty cloths, were laden with homemade produce of every description. The star of the show was undoubtedly David Garland’s homemade lemon-curd - which sold out in the first hour. The gates opened at 1pm and soon the park was a patchwork of picnic rugs and smiling faces.
And the sun shone on -
The air was filled with music. Excited children with exotically painted faces enjoyed decorating plates and Daisy cotton shopping bags, making jewellery, clambering over the fire engine and dancing in the sunshine. Dads marvelled at the Magician’s tricks and queued for a go on the Coconut Shy while mums and grandparents refreshed themselves with homemade goodies and that summer staple, Strawberries and cream.
And the sun shone on -
It was lovely to see so many of our regular supporters as well as dozens of new faces. Families of children being treated by our ‘ Daisy Ketogenic Dietitians’ in various parts of the country made the effort to join us.
Daniel Oldham and all his family came down from Derbyshire and Craig and Rachel Williams with Bailey and Ross travelled from Wales to be with us.
The Killoughery family who drove from Cambridgeshire came along with 4 year old Liam. Liam is on the ketogenic diet and has been seizure free for six months and came off the last of his medication two weeks ago. Grace, Liam’s sister, gave me a card which I would like to share with you…
The picnic ended at 5pm and we released hundreds of brightly coloured balloons into the afternoon sunshine, thereby starting our 2010 Balloon Race. Two Balloons have already landed in Suffolk and one in Norwich. Who will win? Check our website for regular updates.
As people drifted home clutching their raffle prizes and jars of jam and we took down the bunting and threw the remains of the cupcakes to the birds, I realised how important it is to held these events; to get together and have fun and raise much needed funds for the sake of little ones like Liam.
And the sun shines on…
See you all next year.
Sara.
PS and thanks to your generosity we raised £3,500.
Our heartfelt thanks go to:-
Hannah and Yasmin Collins for their amazing donation of £119.19p
Frederick Paine for the Barrel Organ (and can we have it again in 2011?)
The Ursuline High Wimbledon Junior Choir for such wonderful singing
Neville Sinclair for such baffling magic
The London Fire Brigade for being there
Solutions Design for their talent, commitment and smashing posters
Joe Gilhooly at Edge Hill Church without whom we would have been table and chairless
Ian Taylor for his lovely bunch of coconuts!
Lynn Sanderson and Mike Taaffe for so much - sponsorship for flyers and posters, the limo and driver and the puff to blow up all those balloons
Mari at Seasons Florists for her continued support and stunning hydrangea
To Jane and David Hickey for allowing us to plug in…
Nick Coughlan of Coughlan Evans Estates and Tompkins for their valued sponsorship
To everyone who donated the 17 raffle prizes
And finally to all our stall holders who generously donated their produce, time and energy - where would we be without your support?
> Back to list page> Email this Page
Daisy's Amazon Shop powered by 
Start your Amazon.co.uk shopping here. We will earn commission on your entire purchase without this costing you a single penny more. So why not tell all your friends & family about it? Thank you for supporting our work to improve the quality of life for children with difficult to control epilepsy.