Spring is usually a time when the Bader International Study Centre (BISC) is bustling with students and visitors taking in the beauty of Herstmonceux Castle and its grounds, including the breathtaking gardens. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has closed the property to the public so no one has been able to view the thousands of flowers that recently bloomed after being planted in the fall.
But the BISC turned this into an opportunity to show support for those most affected by the pandemic. Staff members at the BISC cut over 2,000 tulips and gathered them into more than 300 bouquets that were donated to frontline health-care workers in the United Kingdom as well as vulnerable members of the local community.
“It seemed like the most fitting choice to give our tulips to the health care workers who are doing so much to keep everyone safe right now and the people who are a part of groups vulnerable to the virus. We wanted our community to know we’re thinking of them during this stressful time,” says Hugh Horton, Vice-Provost and Executive Director of the BISC.
To learn more about the BISC and take a virtual tour of the campus, visit their website.
This story originally appeared in the Queen's Gazette.
