Plenty of pampas: how one charity need resulted in more green in spaces across Belfast

A Good Thing is an online platform that allows businesses to give things away to their local charities. The case study below is an example of the wonderful impact that can be made through these matches.

Donor: The Green East
Location: Northern Ireland
What was donated? Around 12 pampas grass plants
Sector: Horticulture
Charities that benefitted:
Towell House
Volunteer Now
The Garden Friend
Caryfuff Play Care

This matchmade story starts with the A Good Thing charity needs page -  a feature on our website that allows charities to request the specific items they require. Towell House residential home in Belfast, used this feature to request plants for its gardens: many of the home’s residents are keen gardeners, and the team wanted to ensure they would be able to continue their hobby.

One of our A Good Thing volunteers, Isa, set out to find a business that could support this charity need… which led her to The Green East.

Bringing nature in

The Green East in Belfast supplies plants to homes, offices and restaurants. The business was founded in 2020 as a passion project, and has now grown to include a shop in Portview, East Belfast.

The Green East had just finished a project which had left them with a surplus of 25 pampas grass plants. Rosin Horgan, founder of The Green East, told us:

“The pampas grass donation came about quite organically. We had a large amount of it at the end of a project, and it felt important that it went somewhere where it could still bring joy, rather than being wasted.”

 Isa put the two in touch, and the team at Towell House were delighted to be offered the pampas grass plants for their garden. The plants will be used in the charity’s sensory space and along their fencing, to shield and enhance the garden. The residential home hopes the new plants will also benefit the garden’s wildlife. Fiona Beard from the fundraising team at Towell House told us:

“We’re very grateful for the donation, which helps to make our gardens a place our elderly residents and the local community can enjoy and benefit from. We have many gardeners living here, missing their gardens, and they would greatly enjoy getting back outside. The health benefits of this (both physical and mental) to the elderly are immeasurable, particularly benefiting our more isolated residents.”

After Towell House received its pampas grass, there were still plenty of plants left and so Isa set out to find them new homes too!

Creating a welcoming space

Just around the corner from The Green East, Isa came across Volunteer Now a charity that promotes and supports volunteering in Northern Ireland. They provide resources, training and opportunities for individuals and organisations. Isa was able to put the organisation in contact with The Green East, three of the plants were collected.

David Moore from Volunteer Now told us: “We have just opened up a training room, so these will certainly brighten up the place. We are just finding the right spot for them.”

More plants, more possibilities

Next, several plants went to The Garden Friend a mental health gardening charity that helps people to avoid isolation and to benefit from the mental and physical benefits of being outdoors. The charity allows people to take part in community gardening and learn how to grow fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers.

Timothy Turner from The Garden Friend told us his organisation had multiple options for how it could use the plants:

“One option is to plant them in our own wellbeing garden, and the other option is to offer them for sale to help raise funds. Either way, they are going to be very useful to The Garden Friend.”

Pampas and play

Finally, the Caryfuff Play Care charity received pampas grass plants for its outside play area. Carryduff Play Care provides pre-school services alongside breakfast clubs, out-of-school and holiday clubs. This donation will allow the play care centre to enhance its garden space, with more greenery for the children to explore and enjoy.

Support from one to four

We’re delighted to see the impact of this donation, which has allowed no fewer than four Belfast charities to improve their individual spaces. Roisin from The Green East reflected on the experience:

“Being able to pass the plants on to a number of local charities, and hearing how creatively each organisation planned to use them, was incredibly rewarding for the team.

One of the nicest parts of the experience was hearing how differently the pampas would be used in each setting – whether to brighten spaces or help create a more welcoming atmosphere. It really reinforced for us that plants aren’t just decorative: they can help create comfort, connection and a sense of care.

We’d absolutely encourage other businesses to get involved. The process was simple, the response was so positive, and it showed how small, thoughtful actions can have a meaningful impact across the city.”