Press Release: May 2014

FINAL

COVENTRYKIDS DIGGING GARDENING THANKS TO HOZELOCK

TV gardenervisits Binley Wood Primary School to launch national gardening campaign

A regular day in the classroom turned out to be anything but for children at Binley Wood Primary School when TV presenter and gardener, David Domoney, paid them a surprise visit to launch a national gardening campaign.

David, best known for co-presenting ITV’s Love Your Garden with Alan Titchmarsh, dropped into Binley Wood Primary School on Coombe Drive to launch Hozelock’s Gardening for Life campaign – an initiative geared at encouraging youngsters to get outside and get gardening. David gave the gardening club pupils tips and advice for growing their own plants, flowers, fruit and vegetables and also donated a range of Hozelock products to the School.

TV gardener, David, said: “According to research, 47 per cent of UK children spend less than two hours a day outside[1] which is a saddening statistic.

“With the dominance of screen time in all of our lives, swapping just 30 minutes of television and computer games each day for outdoor play would increase the levels of fitness and alertness and improve children's well-being[2]. This is why I’m urging the nation’s youngsters to step away from their smartphones and turn off their tablets and get involved with Hozelock’s Gardening for Life campaign.

“Gardening is a great hobby for people of all ages however, for children it’s particularly beneficial. It’s a fun, healthy activity plus the sense of satisfaction children feel when they watch something they’ve had a hand in growing is immeasurable.”

Lisa Jordan, UK marketing manager atHozelock,added: “Half-term is just a couple of weeks away and the summer holidays will be here before we know it but the good news is that children can easily beat the boredom, thanks to our Gardening for Life campaign. We want to let children know that it is possible to have fun with their friends, without scrolling on a touch-screen or watching TV, and they can do so just by stepping out into their back garden.”

Binley Wood Primary School can be found in the village of Binley Woods on the outskirts of Coventry. The school is set in extensive grounds and adjoins a woodland area which is used to support the curriculum.

ENDS

Notes to editors

For more information on Hozelock’s ‘Gardening For Life’ campaign including images and interviews please contact Sheridan Okey at Cogent Elliott on 01676 526568 or email .

About Hozelock

Hozelock is the global specialist in garden watering.

Founded in 1959, Hozelock is a leading British manufacturer of gardening products and one of the UK’s favourite gardening suppliers. Its annual turnover is £100m and it has 500 employees. With over half a century of horticultural expertise, Hozelock understands the rewards of gardening and continues to manufacture over 85% of its products in Europe at its factories in UK and France.

Designed by gardeners for gardeners, and with a 50 year heritage of innovation Hozelock’s products are developed following on-going research and feedback from consumers every step of the way.

Hozelock manufactures a variety of garden products covering: garden watering, garden pressure sprayers and pond equipment. It sells in over 40 countries and is the market leader in the UK.

About David Domoney

David Domoney, is an Englishgardener and broadcaster who has been dubbed the "Gardener's Gardener", by Alan Titchmarsh. David has co-presented ITV’s Love Your Garden with Alan Titchmarsh since 2012 and has recently been commissioned for a new eight-part series plus specials celebrating all the best about gardening in the UK. David also writes for the Sunday People.

He has also has been the resident gardener on ITV’s This Morning, 60 Minute Makeover & Channel 5’s Garden ER series and is Garden columnist for the Sunday People Newspaper.

Winner of 27 RHS Medals and 2 Best in Show category trophies, he is a Fellow of the Institute of Horticulture & non exec Director for the RHS commercial board. David pioneered the London launched Ideal Home Show “Young Gardeners of the Year Annual Competition” through his association with the HRH Prince of Wales & the Princes Foundation for the Built Environment at Earls Court.

Outside gardening David is a motorcyclist with on his V800 Vulcan motorbike. He is a PADI Qualified ‘Master Scuba Diver’ and has a farmhouse and working olive grove in Italy.

Follow David on Twitter@daviddomoney, like him on Facebook visit his website

[1]Source: Parentdish.co.uk – survey commissioned by Littlewoods

[2]Source: bbc.co.uk – according to the Wild Network