Tulips for Tapping event raises £322,294 for end-of-life care at Hillington-based Norfolk Hospice Tapping House

An “incredible” event which saw thousands of visitors enjoy the vibrant sight of 6.3million tulips in West Norfolk was the most successful to date.

Hillington-based The Norfolk Hospice, Tapping House, and tulip growers Mark and Susanne Eves of Norfolk Tulips are celebrating as last month’s Tulips for Tapping raised £322,294 for the hospice.

The event, which closed on Monday, April 29 after a two-week run, drew more than 25,000 visitors to the site, off the A148 near Sandringham, who had travelled from all over the UK to see the colourful spectacle of the tulips in bloom.

Every penny raised from Tulips for Tapping will go directly to Tapping House, to support vital end-of-life care for patients and their families.

The money raised from this year’s event is the most it has gathered in its four-year history - with the funds paying for more than a month of care services for people across Norfolk.

Nicola Ellis, chief executive at the hospice, said that events such as Tulips for Tapping were becoming ever-important to keep the charity running.

“We were delighted to have the opportunity to partner with Norfolk Tulips to deliver this incredible event again this year and so grateful to Mark and Susanne Eves for their continued commitment to us,” she said.

“We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the visitors who came from near and far to see the magnificent sight of the tulip fields.

“As a charity providing free end-of-life care and bereavement services to 4,500 people every year in Norfolk – both in our hospice and in their homes - we are increasingly reliant on the income that events such as these raise.”

The team at Tapping House needs to raise more than £4 million each year to deliver its services.

“The past two years have been particularly challenging financially, so we were thrilled that Tulips for Tapping has once again been so successful,” Miss Ellis added.

“The Norfolk Hospice Tapping House would like to thank everyone who came to see the tulips and I would especially like to thank all the volunteers, Norfolk Tulips, Michael Rae and Roydon Hall Farms for making this fantastic event happen.”

Tulips for Tapping was supported by more than 200 volunteers who spent in excess of 2,500 hours helping in all aspects of the event.

Susanne Eves, director at Norfolk Tulips and PS & JE Ward Ltd, which hosted the event on its tulip fields, said: “We are continually amazed by the interest in our tulip crop and astounded by the amount of visitors we have received over the 10-day opening, and yet we still can't keep up with visitor demand.

“We would not be able to open the fields without the considerable efforts of the fundraising team and all the volunteers that give their time to raise funds for this cause that is very much close to our hearts.

“It is a privilege to work with those people who help put the event together.”

The Tulips for Tapping event, which has grown each year since it was first held in 2021, has become one of the largest open-air events in Norfolk and one of the largest charity events in the East of England.

The fields are now closed and tulips can no longer be seen there.

Hospice officials said while they are working closely with Norfolk Tulips and Roydon Hall Farms to bring this event back for another year, no dates will be available until April 2025.

For further information, visit www.norfolkhospice.org.uk.

Alternatively, contact Tapping House on 01485 601701.