2023 proved to be a record year for the National Garden Scheme with £3,403,960 donated to the charity’s beneficiaries. This represents a superlative achievement by the garden owners and county team volunteers who together worked tirelessly to host open days at 3,389 gardens across the year.
The lion’s share, £2,475,000 goes to some of the UK’s best-loved nursing and health charities*, many of which have continued to provide vital support to the NHS and communities across the UK in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and who are now struggling to provide services in the new cost of living crisis. The long-term nature of funding from the National Garden Scheme allows these charities to continue the provision of critical community nursing services, end-of-life care and respite for families and carers across the UK.
Commenting, National Garden Scheme Chairman Rupert Tyler said: “As the nation’s health and social care system continues to battle with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and with deeply embedded systemic challenges, the contribution of the charities that we support has been increasingly vital. Their reach and impact, in cancer and end of life care, in community health and nursing and in particular areas such as people living with Parkinson’s, is immense and we are proud to be a major long-term supporter of them all.”
The National Garden Scheme relies primarily on the income generated by admission at its garden gates and through the sale of plants, teas and cake. Additional income streams include fundraising events such as online talks, garden parties, and commercial partnerships.
Commenting on these activities, Chief Executive George Plumptre said: “The enormous contribution by our garden owners and volunteers was added to by other fundraising activities in 2023. A special gala fundraising event at Broughton Grange in Oxfordshire raised over £41,000, and our fourth year of the Great British Garden Party, giving the opportunity for anyone – whether they open their garden or not – to have an event with friends or family and raise funds for the National Garden Scheme, generated £25,000.”
2023 also saw key funding milestones including half a million pounds donated to Horatio’s Garden and a pledge to provide a further three years of funding for horticultural related assistance for soldiers, veterans and their immediate families delivered through the Army Benevolent Fund.
“We know that the long-term continuity of our funding year on year is very unusual, and our beneficiaries have emphasised that this is a key quality in the support we are able to give to them. It is something of which we are enormously proud,” added George Plumptre. “By way of an example, 2024 will see us mark 40 years and over £19 million of funding for Macmillan Cancer Support.”
The National Garden Scheme is looking ahead to 2024 with optimism and the opening of over 3,500 gardens across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. It will also see the charity return to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show with a show garden designed by Tom Stuart-Smith and fully funded by Project Giving Back.
Commenting, Chairman Rupert Tyler said: “We will do our utmost to increase the support we are able to give our beneficiary charities and we are sure that anyone who reads our 2023 Impact Report that accompanies this donation news, will see just how impactful a visit to one of our gardens can be.”
National Garden Scheme donations in 2023
For details of how donations are spent please refer to the Impact Report 2023 – an online version can be found here: https://bit.ly/NGSImpactReport2023
