Jackie Rudman from Barnstaple grows and sells flowers to support people in poverty in Uganda.

Local florists Alison Tranckle at Smallridges in Barnstaple, Kelly Stanier at Offshore Blooms in Braunton, and Deryn Northam at Twigs in Pilton are all kindly selling Jackie’s flowers to support the work of Amigos.

For the past two years Jackie has raised £250 a year from her flower garden, and hopes to achieve the same again in 2018.

Jackie’s project keeps growing and Kay Adams from The Retreat Beauty Salon in Barnstaple has just ordered a weekly delivery of the locally grown flowers to support the cause.

Jackie’s granddaughter, Elsa Thomson, is also involved. ‘I love to help nanny pick flowers early in the morning,’ she says. ‘Once we saw a bee sleeping so we stroked it to wake it up because we needed that flower.’

Jackie explains how the project evolved: ‘My new garden was a blank canvas so I decided to create a cutting garden to supply fresh flowers each week.’

‘I went on a flower growing course and planted peonies, musk roses with beautiful fragrances, campanulas and agapanthus.’

‘After one season the garden was producing such an abundance of flowers I had them everywhere. I gave them away, but soon there were more flowers dying on their stems in the garden than I could ever use.’

‘It seemed to me this was a God-given picture of beautiful young lives in Africa fading away and dying in poverty because they were unable to change their situation.

‘So I began to sell my flowers in support of the local charity, Amigos, because they work with young Ugandans teaching skills in agriculture and other trades.

‘This gives young people the ability to take control of their lives, to work their way out of poverty, and to provide for their families without having to rely on handouts from charity.

‘I have had tremendous support from local businesses who sell the flowers, from people who buy from my garden gate, individuals who have weekly deliveries, brides who prefer the looser, softer, arrangement of English flowers, and many others who share the vision of Amigos to support Ugandans to work their way out of poverty.

Phil Pugsley, CEO of Amigos says: ‘It’s wonderful when people come up with such creative ideas to fundraise for Amigos, we are very appreciative of all Jackie does and she can be confident that her green fingers are changing lives 4000 miles away in Uganda!’