Do you have a passion for gardening? Are you proud of your garden and like to show it off to family and friends? If so, why not go one step further and join the National Gardens Scheme, opening up your garden to visitors to raise money for charity.
Since its foundation in 1927 the National Gardens Scheme (NGS) has donated more than £42.5 million to its nominated beneficiaries and partners. Today it gives away around £2.5 million annually, achieved through its rare and simple fundraising model; it has no assets or investments, money is solely raised by visitors paying to attend open gardens and to enjoy home-made teas or buying plants.
All of the nominated beneficiaries of the NGS are nursing and caring charities and the scale of its annual financial support makes it one of the most significant charitable funders of this sector in the UK. Its benefactors today include:
Macmillan Cancer Support
Marie Curie Cancer Care
Help the Hospices
Carers Trust
The Queen’s Nursing Institute
Perennial Parkinson’s UK (Guest Charity 2014)
In addition the NGS provides annual funding specifically to support training for young gardeners through its partnerships with the National Trust, the Royal Horticultural Society and the Garden Museum – all also leading charities in the gardening and horticultural sector. In return the partners provide a variety of support for the NGS. Working with the partners to promote gardens and gardeners in the UK and to raise their profile is an important priority for the NGS, alongside its primary donations policy of support for nursing and caring.
The NGS is governed by a Council of Trustees and managed by a Chief Executive leading a small team of employed staff working at a central office, to support a large team of volunteers operating on a county by county basis to source interesting, beautiful gardens and look after their openings. Currently there are some 375 volunteers and without the generous donation of their time, expertise and enthusiasm the NGS would simply not be able to operate.
The volunteers find gardens to open in their county and look after the garden owners. They organise the collection of donations from the gardens and help with the administration and promotion of the gardens at different times of the year. As well as supporting the NGS, individual gardens have given away more than £4 million in small donations directly to local charities of their choice.
So, could this be a way to show off your green fingers and raise money for very worthy causes?
You don’t need to have a large or elaborate garden for it to be enjoyable and interesting for visitors. Many NGS gardens are small back gardens that have been made special by hard work, skill and the love of gardening. Visitors like to see interesting planning and design, a good range of plants and gardens which have been tended with love and care. Visitors often like to talk about the garden with the owners, and they also enjoy a good cup of tea or a slice of cake.
You can decide to open once a year, although many owners find twice a year is ideal, especially to show the garden in a different season. Some of our dedicated garden owners like to open in spring, summer and autumn but it’s completely up to you.
If you are interested in finding out more, visit the NGS website at www.ngs.org.uk or call 01483 211 535 for further details. A member of the volunteer team will visit you and your garden at the time of year you would plan to open for the NGS.
Remember, you don’t need a garden worthy of a gold medal at Chelsea to be part of the NGS!