The first ever fundraising weekend for Harvest Green Futures has officially wrapped, and we’re delighted to share that an incredible £14,320.05 was raised to support children and families living in poverty in our local community. A huge thank you to everyone who donated, attended, sponsored or simply cheered us on. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Why we started Harvest Green Futures
Before diving into the weekend highlights, it’s important to reflect on where this journey began.
Harvest Green Futures was created after a moment that stuck with us. Sam and Greg visited Ilfracombe Junior School to give a talk on sustainability and the environment. It was part of our wider effort at Harvest Green Developments to help educate young people about the importance of looking after our planet. However, what started as a day to inspire the children pivoted to a day inspiring the team when after the session, headteacher Jody LeBredonchel spoke with Sam and Greg about the levels of child poverty and deprivation in Ilfracombe. The statistics were shocking. It was a real wake-up call and one that made us realise sustainability doesn’t just mean looking after the environment. It also means making sure the next generation has a fair chance at a better future.
That day was the spark behind Harvest Green Futures. We soon realised that while there are amazing charities already doing great work, the best way for us to create direct and lasting impact was to build our own charity from the ground up, focused on the values we care most about. Further to this, we returned to the school to host a competition to design a logo where Amelia from Year 6 came up with the masterpiece that has become the face of Harvest Green Futures branding.
Charity Golf Day | 25th July 2025
To kick things off, we hosted our very first Harvest Green Futures Charity Golf Day. Over 80 of our suppliers and partners from Harvest Green Developments joined us for 18 holes of golf, some friendly competitions, drinks (maybe a little too much from some) and a lot of laughter.
But what truly made the day so special wasn’t just the fun on the course. It was the speech given that evening by Jody LeBredonchel. He shared the same child deprivation statistics that inspired this whole journey and reminded everyone why we were all there. His words brought everything back to the core mission: supporting children living in poverty in our local area. We’re so grateful to Jody for joining us and helping bring such important context to the event.
The golf day set the tone for the weekend perfectly. It was full of energy and generosity from all who attended.
Charity Summer Fête at Larkstone | 27th July 2025
The following Sunday, we switched golf clubs for outdoor activities and face paint at our Summer Fête, held at Larkstone Café & Bar. In all honesty, we were hoping to attract a few hundred people but what actually happened blew us away. Over 1,000 people from the local area came along throughout the day. The support was phenomenal, and we were genuinely overwhelmed by how many people showed their support for Harvest Green Futures.
Larkstone kindly offered a free buffet for 200 people, which was a lovely gesture. What they weren’t expecting was the sheer number of people at their venue. In no time, their kitchen was completely emptied but their team handled it with smiles and incredible effort from start to finish. We honestly couldn’t have asked for more from them. We also wanted to show our appreciation for Savona Foodservice who also donated 200 children’s lunchboxes which they prepared and donated for local children to enjoy which were enjoyed by many and we really appreciate both businesses willingness to be part of our charity launch weekend from the very start when the charity was more just a vision than a reality. A huge thank you to the team at Harvest Green Developments who volunteered their time to ensure the event went smoothly alongside the team at Larkstone.
The atmosphere throughout the day was amazing. Families came together, children played, music filled the air with both local band The Greater Good and an evening DJ and our community showed up in force to support a cause that matters and we are so appreciative to everyone who came along – we’re hoping to do this again next year to celebrate our charity birthday!
Raffle and auction
We wrapped up the weekend with a raffle and auction, which turned out to be two of the biggest contributors to our fundraising total.
Thanks to generous donations and enthusiastic bidders, the raffle raised over £4,000 and the auction brought in £5,171. Between the two, that’s over £9,000 raised, all going straight to helping children and families in need. The prizes were brilliant and the bidding was competitive all for incredible prizes which again were kindly donate by businesses who donated generously to help us raise as much as we can. Thank you again to all that got involved!
What’s next for Harvest Green Futures?
Raising over £14,000 in one weekend is something we’re incredibly proud of, but it’s just the beginning. Right now, we’re working behind the scenes to finalise how local children and families can apply for support through Harvest Green Futures with details shared as soon as they are ready. Whether that support comes in the form of funding for school trips and experiences, access to extracurricular activities, funding for local groups where funding is limited, essential supplies, physical and mental health support or something else entirely, our aim is clear to offer meaningful help to children living in hardship across our local communities. We’ll share more on this soon, along with how people can apply or get involved!
We’re only getting started. Harvest Green Futures will be hosting more events, more fundraisers and offering new ways to get involved as our charity continues to grow. To stay up to date, follow our social media channels. That’s where we’ll post all the latest news, updates and opportunities to get involved. Launching Harvest Green Futures has been one of the most rewarding experiences we’ve had so far, and seeing the impact already being made is something we’ll never forget.
Thank you to everyone who helped us raise such a fantastic amount during our very first fundraiser weekend. We couldn’t be more grateful and we can’t wait to do it all again.
