Tulips for Tapping 2024 raised £322,294!

Visitors travelled from around the country for the spectacle.

The Norfolk Hospice Tapping House and tulip growers Mark and Susanne Eves of Norfolk Tulips are celebrating the completion of the biggest and most successful Tulips for Tapping event in its four-year history.

The event, which closed on Monday 29th April after a two week run, drew over 25,000 visitors to the Kings Lynn area who travelled from all over the UK to see the spectacle of 6.3 million tulips in bloom.

Victoria Rush & Lindsey Atkin from the Norfolk Hospice

A twelve acre field near the Sandringham Estate was planted last autumn. Lewis Eves explained: "The weather wasn't with us last autumn and the bulbs were planted quite late in November.

"The bulbs will be lifted in June or July then be put into a cold store to simulate winter conditions before forcing in our glass houses in Terrington and the cut flowers will hit the supermarkets in January."

Every penny raised from the Tulips for Tapping event will go directly to the charity The Norfolk Hospice Tapping House to support vital end of life care to patients and their families. This year the event raised £322,294 which will pay for more than a month of care services for people across Norfolk.

Volunteer Jane Kilham

The event is supported by more than 200 volunteers who have spent more than 2,500 hours helping in all aspects of the event from setting up, manning the event and packing away at the end. Without their help, this event would not have been able to run and continue to be such a success, raising vital funds for the Hospice.

Volunteers at the gate

Nicola Ellis, Chief Executive at The Norfolk Hospice Tapping House said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity to partner with Norfolk Tulips to deliver this incredible event again this year and so grateful to Mark and Susanne Eves for their continued commitment to us. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the visitors who came from near and far to see the magnificent sight of the tulip fields.

“As a charity providing free end of life care and bereavement services to 4,500 people every year in Norfolk – both in our Hospice and in their homes - we are increasingly reliant on the income that events such as these raise. We need to raise more than £4 million each year to deliver our transformational services to patients and families. The past two years have been particularly challenging financially, so we were thrilled that Tulips for Tapping has once again been so successful!

“The Norfolk Hospice Tapping House would like to thank everyone who came to see the tulips and I would especially like to thank all the volunteers, Norfolk Tulips, Michael Rae and Roydon Hall Farms for making this fantastic event happen”.

Susanne Eves Director at Norfolk Tulips/PS & JE Ward Ltd said: “We are continually amazed by the interest in our tulip crop and astounded by the amount of visitors we have received over the 10 day opening, and yet we still can't keep up with visitor demand. We would not be able to open the fields without the considerable efforts of the Fundraising Team and all the volunteers that give their time to raise funds for this cause that is very much close to our hearts. It is a privilege to work with those people who help put the event together”.

Eve Hipkin & Daisy Jeffries

The Tulips for Tapping event continues to grow each year, becoming one of the largest open air events in Norfolk and one of the largest charity events in the East of England.

The tulip fields are now closed and tulips can no longer be seen in the field. The Hospice is working closely with Norfolk Tulips and Roydon Hall Farms to bring this event back for another year. No dates will be available until April 2025.

Krista Mather & daughter Davanee (2)