Support the RHS
How you have helped
The cost of maintaining the Society’s four gardens and other horticultural work is partially met by donations, which is why we have appealed to you as our greatest and closest supporters. The success of all these campaigns has depended on your enthusiastic response.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your donations and hope that you will continue to endorse our work with your generous support. Please click on the links to find out more about the success of each appeal.
Tree Guardian
Wild Wood Appeal
Rosemoor Education Centre Appeal
Horticultural Training Scheme Appeal
Hyde Hall Avenue Appeal
Lindley Library Appeal
Rosemoor Woodland Appeal
Winter Raffle
Tree Guardian
The tree guardian Appeal raised a total of £27,000 towards the ongoing care and protection of the RHS's unrivalled collection of trees.
Wild Wood Appeal
In 2003 we asked members and supporters to help us plant a new Wild Wood at RHS Garden Hyde Hall.
We raised £300,000 for the appeal.
Rosemoor Education Centre Appeal
In Summer 2002 a £30,000 appeal was launched at Rosemoor for an education centre. Thanks to your generous support, the centre was constructed later that year and is now used by school children and adults to learn about plants, gardening, woodlands and wildlife.
The building is named after Mrs Joyce Stewart, the previous RHS Director of Horticulture, Science and Education who retired this month.
Horticultural Training Scheme Appeal
Education is of prime importance to the RHS and this appeal was launched early in 2002 to help with another element of our educational work, the prestigious RHS Horticultural Training Scheme. The appeal was successful in raising donations to fund the RHS Training Scheme for three years.
To find out more about the Scheme click here
Hyde Hall Millennium Avenue Appeal
Donations flooded in towards this inspirational project launched in 2000. With members' generosity we raised over £50,000 for the Millennium Avenue of oaks (Quercus frainetto 'Hungarian Crown') and Malus Field woodland.
This forms a key element of the Hyde Hall horticultural master plan to link the ornamental garden on the hilltop with the surrounding landscape. The Millennium Avenue will form the central axis for new planting, which includes a haymeadow and naturalised bulbs, which will flower for the first time during spring 2004.
Lindley Library Appeal
The Lindley Library is widely regarded as the most important collection of horticultural books and illustrations in the world and many are irreplaceable, such as a 1514 copy of Pliny's Natural History and a hand-coloured copy of Lecons de Flore, brought to England by Napoleon Ill and given to a neighbour for supporting him during his exile.
Until 2001, the collection was housed in inadequate and cramped conditions. An appeal was launched in 1998 for its £4m redevelopment. The Heritage Lottery Fund pledged £1.8m towards the Library's redevelopment and a fundraising drive in the summer of 1999 generated over £1 million, of which RHS members contributed £270,000.
"We now have more than double the space for readers, a larger proportion of the collections on open shelves, a conservation unit, drawings and exhibition room, workroom, darkroom and networked ports. Visitors have increased by over 40% since the redevelopment." said Brent Elliott.
Rosemoor Woodland Appeal
This appeal was the first RHS fundraising campaign. It was launched in 1997 in order to save some 32.5ha of mixed woodland and forestry plantations surrounding RHS Garden Rosemoor in Devon from commercial developers.
South West members were quick to respond to the emergency appeal and gave £190,000. The RHS was able to purchase the woods thereby safeguarding the scenic and climatic environment.
Winter 2003 Raffle
The Society held its first ever Winter Raffle in 2003. The top prize was £3,000, second prize £1,500, third prize life membership of the RHS (worth £975) and 10 fourth prizes of £50 worth of RHS plant shop vouchers each. 75,000 raffle tickets were sold, raising £85,000 for the RHS.
Raffle proceeds will go towards a special Bicentenary appeal to fund exciting new horticultural developments at the RHS gardens. These may include a new, world-class glasshouse at Wisley, since the existing glasshouse is well past its lifespan.
Winter 2004 Raffle
The 2004 winter raffle raised over £350,000 towards our charitable activity.