Tapping House’s chief executive, Niki Ellis, said if the event did not take place the charity would have to consider closing services or reducing staff numbers.<\/p>\n
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Niki Ellis said the hospice sector was under financial pressure [Shaun Whitmore\/BBC]<\/p>\n
The hospice provides free care in Norfolk and North Cambridgeshire to adults living with life-limiting illnesses, as well as supporting their carers, families and friends.<\/p>\n
It runs a series of fundraising events throughout the year, and it is the sixth time Tulips for Tapping, which opened on Thursday, has been held.<\/p>\n
Ellis said the charity had to raise about \u00a35.7m each year to maintain its operations and pressures on the whole hospice sector were mounting.<\/p>\n
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The tulip fields will remain open for two weeks during the fundraiser [Shaun Whitmore\/BBC]<\/p>\n
“We’re seeing cuts in our funding as our costs go up and wages go up,” she said.<\/p>\n
“The funding we’re getting from the NHS is just not keeping up with that, so it’s now sitting at around 22% of our funding.<\/p>\n
“The rest of it we have to income-generate through events like this.”<\/p>\n
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The sprawling multi-coloured fields featured in the film Wicked [Shaun Whitmore\/BBC]<\/p>\n
The hospice head said the ticketed showstopping display, which once doubled as Munchkinland in Hollywood blockbuster Wicked<\/a>, was its major fundraiser and also represented the spirit of its services.<\/p>\n “We’re delivering care in the community, and we believe in bringing joy to people’s life and living life to the full right to the end,” said Ellis.<\/p>\n “This is totally symbolic of the work that we do: it’s about joy, it’s about colour, creativity, and those vital funds enable us to do that in loads of different ways.”<\/p>\n Nursery boss Mark Eves said he was proud to be involved [Shaun Whitmore\/BBC]<\/p>\n Volunteers turn out to plant the fields at Belmont Nurseries.<\/p>\n Its director Mark Eves said he was “proud” of their work, and for the nursery to be involved with the project.<\/p>\n “It’s quite an amazing thing to be a part of,” he said.<\/p>\n Tulips for Tapping will run until Monday 27 April, but Eves’ thoughts are already focused on what needs to happen next.<\/p>\n “We’ll take all the heads off because all the energy from making a flower head… goes down into the bulb instead,” said Eves.<\/p>\n “In July time, we’ll be lifting these bulbs, grading and sorting them – some for sale, and some will go into flower production during next winter.”<\/p>\n [Shaun Whitmore\/BBC]<\/p>\n Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a> and X<\/a>.<\/p>\n More on this storyRelated internet links![\"Mark](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/e5cf29bb5af13100d7f0a3ac6e006ea0.jpeg\"\/)
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