The 2024 RHS Chelsea National Garden Scheme garden was fully funded by Project Giving Back, the grant-making charity, whom supported 15 of this year’s RHS Chelsea show gardens. Many often ask, rather than funding these extraordinarily expensive RHS Chelsea show garden endeavours for charities, why not just give them the money directly? Especially, considering that garden grants from Project Giving Back can range from £70k to the £500k – funds which charities could probably put to good use very effectively.
According to the spinal injury charity, Horatio’s Garden, their 2023 RHS Chelsea show garden proved to be transformative for the charity. The show reportedly, “catapulted them into the spotlight”, significantly boosting their national profile and works, dwarfing previously achieved levels.
In pursuit of similar success, the National Garden Scheme (NGS) Impact Report revealed that the charity’s 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show participation significantly strengthened its profile and reach, with national and global (print, broadcast and online) media, as well as significantly enhancing its digital and social engagement. Furthermore, the gold medal provided vital industry endorsement and raised the awareness of the quality of the gardens that open for scheme including, Tom Stuart-Smith’s very own garden. RHS Chelsea and related events, reportedly strengthened existing donor relationships for the NGS, initiated potentially new (high value) relationships, as well as invigorated, pride and loyalty amongst NGS staff, volunteers and supporters.
Generated media coverage
The report cites a BBC TV audience reach (barb.co.uk) for the duration of the show of over 4.6 million (BBC One 2,368,000 and BBC Two 2,251,000). Media reach spiked during Chelsea week reaching an estimated audience of 3,993,087 across broadcast, digital and print on RHS Chelsea Press Monday. Media mentions during the week totalled 241 for the NGS, with a reported advertising value of £2.98 million (Vuello Media Monitoring). Compared to last year, the charity’s media mentions for the month of May, rose by 423% from 207 in 2023 – to 1093 in 2024.
With the help of Tom Stuart-Smith and various influencers, NGS social media and digital engagement during the show resulted in traffic peaking at 700 hits per minute on Saturday the 25th of May , accounting for 273,000 visitors to the website in May 2024, compared to 78,000 from the same period in 2023 – with over 1.4 million views to their mainstay, ‘Find a Garden’ section. The NGS reported an increase of 2,696 new followers across their social media channels during Chelsea week.
To-date, the NGS has received unusually high number of requests (over 150) from people wanting to open their gardens for scheme, which the charity is directly attributing to the “Chelsea effect”. The charity currently have over 3,500 gardens across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands in their portfolio.
“Our show garden had an immediate impact which was made evident by feedback from visitors to our gardens throughout the summer. Following the Chelsea Flower Show it produced a huge increase in the number of people who registered interest in opening their own gardens for us. And it has helped to raise awareness for our Centenary which we will be celebrating in 2027 – on which we are now all firmly focused,” explains Rupert Tyler, NGS Chairman.
Current and future fundraising
Fundraising events centred around their Chelsea garden, such as the RHS Chelsea plant sale (£25,000), raffles, online talks raised £41,500 profit for the charity, whilst engaging new and existing supporters. The NGS also received over £65,000 in additional funding from companies such as Investec Wealth & Investment (UK) and Blue Book to cover hospitality events and marketing activities, enabling the strengthening of existing partnerships and engaging with “270 new high value and supportive” partners.
Merchandise ranges (including recent Emma Bridgewater collaboration) on the NGS trade stand, saw sales increased by 1362% raising a total of £17,269 gross income.
Also good to read that many of the representatives from the NGS beneficiary charities were also able to attend the show, to celebrate their place in the world of gardens and horticulture and how the NGS uses that to support them.
“While this snapshot provides a glimpse of the impact that having a garden at Chelsea generates, we are confident that the legacy of the garden and the many new connections it generated, will continue to reap rewards for the National Garden Scheme and its beneficiaries in the years to come. Not least when the garden settles into its permanent site at Maggie’s at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge,” explained Chief Executive George Plumptre.