Press releases

RHS announces President and Treasurer elect

The Council of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) announces that Peter Buckley and Giles Coode-Adams, OBE, DL will be declared elected unopposed as the Society’s President and Treasurer respectively at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting on 28 June 2006. The current President, Sir Richard Carew Pole, will stand down having completed his five year term in the role.

Peter Buckley has been Treasurer of the RHS since 2002 and was first elected to Council in 1998. As Treasurer of the RHS, he is Chairman of the RHS Business Board and a member of the Horticultural Board. He is also a member of many committees (1) including Woody Plant Committee and Shows Committee and is a non-executive Director of RHS Enterprises Limited and RHS Special Events Limited.

Peter Buckley qualified as a Scottish Chartered Accountant and his career in the City is concerned with a wide range of investment and commercial businesses. He is Chairman of Caledonia Investments plc and a Director of Close Brothers Group plc, Kerzner International Ltd, Bristow Group Inc. and other companies. He was a member of the Investment Committee of the Wellcome Trust from 1995-2002. He has been an enthusiastic gardener all his life and a winner of prizes in the RHS Camellia competitions. He is developing a woodland garden in Dumfriesshire.

Giles Coode-Adams OBE, DL was first elected to Council in 2002 and has served as Vice Chairman of Council since 2004. He is a member of the Business Board as well as many other committees (2). His career has largely been confined to finance, first as a Partner of the British stockbroker L Messel & Co, then as a Managing Director of the American Investment Bank Lehman Brothers. He spent six years running the Foundation at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and was one of the Founders of the Millennium Seed Bank. Giles has a 10-acre garden in Essex which is opened to the public. He is passionate about gardening and has a particular interest in woody plants.

Members of the Society will also elect candidates for four Council vacancies at the AGM. Nominations for these vacancies will be confirmed on 20 April.

The AGM will be held at RHS Garden Wisley; contact number for info 020 7821 3039.

The RHS Council is the governing body of the RHS and is responsible for:

• The future direction of the Society
• The investment and disposal of Society assets
• The strategic management and performance of the Society

There are 70 RHS Committees including 23 Plant Committees made up of nearly 400 dedicated horticulturists. All the Committee members give their time and knowledge for free, thereby helping the RHS invest more funds into its charitable activities which include holding plant trials, undertaking scientific research into issues affecting gardeners and running educational events and activities.

Notes to Editors

For further information or an image of Gordon Seabright, please contact Eli Smallwood, RHS Press & PR Manager (Science & Learning) on 020 7821 3692 or e-mail elismallwood@rhs.org.uk.

(1). Positions held by Peter Buckley at the RHS are Ex-Officio Memberships as Treasurer: Chairman, Business Board, Chairman, Horticultural Board, Chairman, Pensions Panel, Chairman, Investments Sub-Committee, Chairman, Remuneration Sub-Committee, Member, Contracts with Trustees and Connected Parties Committee, Member, Council, Member, Project Development Sub-Committee, Director, Northern Horticultural Society, Trustee, Shropshire Horticultural Society (Wisley Trainee) Charitable Trust. Other positions held are: Member, Woody Plant Committee, Member, Fundraising Review Group, Member, Shows Committee, Director, RHS Enterprises Limited, Director, RHS Special Events Limited.

(2). Positions held by Giles Coode-Adams, OBE, DL at the RHS are Ex-Officio Memberships as Vice Chairman of Council: Member, Contracts with Trustees and Connected Parties Committee, Director, Northern Horticultural Society. Other positions are: Chairman, Picture Committee, Member, Woody Plant Committee, Member, Fundraising Review Group, Member, Project Development Sub-Committee, Member, Business Board, Member, Nominations Committee, Member, Investments Sub-Committee, Shadow Member, Gardens Committee.

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The RHS is the UK’s leading gardening charity dedicated to advancing horticulture and promoting good gardening. RHS work includes providing expert advice and information, advancing horticulture, training the next generation of gardeners, helping school children learn about plants, and conducting research into plants, pests and environmental issues affecting gardeners.

An interest in gardening is all you need to enjoy being a member of the RHS. For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk or call 0845 130 4646.

Founded in 1804, the Royal Horticultural Society is Britain's largest gardening charity and is committed to being the leading organisation demonstrating excellence in horticulture and promoting gardening. Renowned for its outstanding gardens and inspirational flower shows, the RHS is a key source of advice and information for all gardeners. It encourages gardening through its publications, trials, lectures, education programmes and scientific research and is home to the Lindley Library, which contains the most comprehensive collection of horticultural books in the world.

Membership of the Royal Horticultural Society offers many exclusive benefits including a monthly copy of The Garden magazine; free entrance to RHS Gardens Wisley in Surrey, Rosemoor in Devon, Hyde Hall in Essex and Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire; free access to a further 88 beautiful gardens across Britain and 20 gardens in Belgium and France; access to seeds collected at RHS gardens; free gardening advice and privileged tickets to 18 RHS flower shows, including the Chelsea Flower Show, the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park.

For further enquiries about membership of the RHS contact: Membership Department, Royal Horticultural Society, PO Box 313, London SW1P 2PE; 0845 130 4646 Monday - Friday 9.30am - 5pm or via the RHS website

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