Supporters celebrate their gardens online

This spring, we created a fun, new way for you to raise funds and awareness – the Virtual Open Garden.

The Virtual Open Garden is like a traditional open garden fundraiser, but it’s hosted online. It's about coming together online with loved ones, to celebrate the joy our gardens bring while we’re physically apart. And, most importantly, it means you can still make a difference while social distancing.

The idea came from Royal Osteoporosis Society member and volunteer Christine Sharp, who you may remember from our BBC Radio 4 Appeal last year. Christine told us her garden was looking especially lovely, now that she was spending more time staying safe at home, and how much of a shame it is that she can’t enjoy it with her loved ones right now.

Christine did a video tour of her garden

Christine chose to do a video tour for her Virtual Open Garden. She filmed her garden, and shared it on Facebook.

Christine's fundraiser ran for a week, and she raised an amazing £225 to help us continue to be there for those who need it most.

Thank you for your support. For this amazing charity for them to help and support people suffering these awful fractures due to osteoporosis. They have been my lifeline and invaluable with their help and advice.

See more on Christine's Facebook fundraiser.

Alice is sharing how her garden is changing over time

Alice is running her Virtual Open Garden fundraiser for a few months, to share her garden growing and changing over time.

She still has a few weeks left, and is well on her way to reaching her £200 fundraising target.

I'll be sharing photos and videos of my garden over the next month or so. After a few years of love, I'm really rather proud of it. And it's such a shame that lockdown means I can't have you lovely people round to enjoy it with me. If you can give a donation in return, no matter how small, I'll be so so grateful.

See more on Alice's Facebook fundraiser.

Host a Virtual Open Garden

You can host your own Virtual Open Garden - it's not too late to get involved and make a difference.

There is no right way to host a Virtual Open Garden, so you can make it work for you. And if you don't use Facebook, how about emailing photos of your garden to friends and family instead?

Find out more about hosting a Virtual Open Garden, and get your fundraising pack today. Or you can get started straight away by creating your Facebook fundraiser today.