PEOPLE can enjoy hundreds of thousands of sunflowers – and do their bit for charity – at a Dorset attraction this summer.

In August, the Dorset Sunflower Trail will return for a third season at Maiden Castle Farm, on the outskirts of Dorchester, organised by Hazel Hoskin.

Some 750,000 sunflower seeds have been planted to create two trails for visitors, with local ice cream and a café on offer.

People can also bring a picnic and take home cut sunflowers or souvenirs from the Sunshine Shack.

Maiden Castle Farm has pledged to donate half of the proceeds from ticket sales to Dorset County Hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) charity, which has played a very special part in the lives of the Hoskin family behind the trail.

In previous years, the trail has raised £37,000, with last year’s proceeds split between Ukraine’s Cherkasy Hospital and Dorchester Dorset County Hospital’s Kingfisher children’s ward.

Dominic Sheehy, manager of Dorset County Hospital’s SCBU, said: “We are grateful and very excited to have been chosen to be supported by this event – we have lots of plans for the unit and take great pride in providing the best possible facilities, services and care we can for our precious patients and their families.”

Following a successful collaboration last year, Dorchester Town Council will work closely with event organiser Hazel Hoskin to create a ‘Summer of Sunflowers’ for the nearby town.

Dorchester town centre will be bursting with sunflower vibes from mid-July, with sunflower sculptures suspended high across South Street while a local artist will decorate the pavements with a temporary eco-friendly painted sunflower murals.

Retailers will also join the fun, creating sunflower-themed shop windows across Dorchester and Poundbury, while local eateries will tempt visitors with limited edition sunflower bakes, all helping to raise money for this special local charity.

To keep with the Farm’s ethos of community engagement, children from The Prince of Wales School have also got involved by making eco-friendly bird scarers to protect the crop.

“The uniqueness of this major fundraising event is that the Sunflower Trail is planted in a different field each year due to crop rotation,” Hazel said.

“So if you’ve visited before then this year’s experience will be different again.

“The Sunflower Trail created on the farm will be a highlight for many people, especially the many thousands who have visited the attraction before.

“We are encouraging visitors to be eco-friendly and cycle to the trail, which is located on the Dorset Cycle Route 2, although the site offers free parking and is accessible to wheelchair users and pushchairs (weather permitted of course).

“We also plan to highlight the amazing positivity of the flowers on people’s well-being with pilates and yoga sessions available in addition to the popular sundowner sessions.

“This event is an amazing backdrop to make some special memories with family and friends and enjoy nature at its best.”

Full opening dates and times will be confirmed at a later date.

Tickets will be held at 2022 prices and will go on Sale in July 20222023.

For updates, follow the trail on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MaidenCastleFarm, or at website www.maidencastlefarm.co.uk.