Ann Lush, 86, has spent three decades opening her garden to the public, fulfilling a childhood promise to help vulnerable children. Through the Penarth Open Gardens event, which she co-founded with her late husband Dennis in 1996, Lush has raised more than £130,000 for the charity The Children's Society.
Lush, who grew up as an orphan raised by her grandmother after her father died during World War Two, said her early experiences shaped her desire to support young people. She recalled that her grandmother, while loving, was not always able to allow her to invite friends home. This led Lush to resolve at about nine years old that she would, if she ever owned a home, welcome everyone.
"If I ever had a home of my own, everybody could come to it," Lush told BBC Radio Wales. "And everybody has come to it. Not just through the open gardens, because I've had strawberry teas, I've had barbecues, I've had garage sales."
The Penarth Open Gardens event now includes dozens of gardens each year, with visitors typically paying £1 per head for entry. Lush and her husband were recognized with an MBE for their charitable work.
"It's been a wonderful thing to be able to do with my garden. It really, really has," she said. The funds raised go to The Children's Society, a national charity that supports vulnerable young people.
Lush's commitment to helping children stems from her own upbringing. She stated that she resolved "to help any child I could" as she got older. The success of the open gardens and various other fundraising activities held at her home demonstrates the community's engagement with her long-standing promise.