Be king or queen of the jungle in ‘I’m a Scouser…Get Me Out of Here!’ at Sefton Park Palm House

By Janet Tansley

Ant and Dec might not be there, and you’ll hopefully not need Dr Bob…

But there’ll still be bushtucker trials and the chance to become king or queen of the jungle when Sefton Park Palm House hosts I’m A Scouser… Get Me Out of Here! 

One person and seven friends can get the chance to spend the night under the stars at the Palm House in a special online auction being opened on Monday.

And Naomi McAllister, external relations assistant for the Palm House, promises it will be a ‘very special opportunity’.

“It’s an amazing chance,” says Naomi.  “The joy for me would be to see the Palm House in the middle of the night.

“It’s so different as to how it is during the day. There’s a different atmosphere, there’s dripping water, and a serenity of the place – although I’m not sure about the serenity if you’re there with seven friends!”

But she adds: “Being able to sleep under the stars and under the canopy of the Palm House is something really special I think. They are in for a treat.”

The auction is being held as part of the annual Henry Yates Thompson Celebration Dinner which takes place at the Palm House on Saturday, October 15.

The dinner helps to support the iconic Liverpool landmark, which first opened in 1896, and is in commemoration of Henry Yates Thompson who gifted the sum of £10,000 to fund its construction.

The once-in-a-lifetime auction opportunity gives people who can’t be part of the dinner a chance to be involved.

Sefton Park Palm House Director Roy Boardman says:

“I do think of the Palm House as an oasis set within Sefton Park; this a fabulous opportunity for a group of friends to experience something completely different in an unusual setting, enjoying the delights of a jungle camp experience.”

The inspiration has come partly from a music video which was filmed at the Palm House two years ago when the musicians had camp beds and a hot tub, and of course the popular ITV programme I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in which famous people head to the Australian Jungle – or more recently a castle in Wales – to face a range of challenges.

Naomi says: “We thought it might be a good idea to use the Palm House as our very own jungle.”

During the night the group will be split into two teams to undertake different tucker trials to win points to redeem at the Bush Bar for ‘copious amounts’ of jungle juice and a full-blown camp feast to celebrate the crowning of a king or queen.

Naomi adds: “It will be set as a jungle environment and it should be a lot of fun. There might not be any real nasties lurking, but we have some ideas up our sleeves and we will be replicating the jungle – so there will be a few surprises!”

The auction will be open from Monday and bids can be made via the Palm House on 0151 726 9304 or to Kate Martinez via email on katemartinez@palmhouse.org.uk.

There are still tickets available for the Henry Yates Thompson Celebration Dinner which cost £100 per person if you book a table for 10, or £125 individually, and they can be purchased until October 12 – book here.

The winners of the auction will be announced on the evening of the dinner and the prize can be taken at the group’s convenience. There will also be a raffle which will remain open until, and be announced on, December 12.

For more information about Sefton Palm Park House go to the website here.