Celebrating our volunteers and their spirit of generosity in Volunteers Week 2024

In Volunteers Week (1-7 June) the National Garden Scheme is celebrating its amazing family of volunteers. The success of the National Garden Scheme, and the significant amounts of money it donates to its beneficiaries, would not be possible without the dedicated support of the charity’s garden owners and its volunteers. In 2023, 3,389 gardens opened for the Scheme supported by 585 volunteers all sharing their incredible enthusiasm, expertise and generosity which is at the heart of everything the charity achieves.

Seventy one gardens, including Ramster and Welford Park, have been opening since the charity was founded 1927, and in 2024 three of them, Buckland Lakes, Iford Manor Gardens and Stanway Fountain and Water Garden, mark 80 years of opening for the National Garden Scheme. These, and other landmark openings, will all be celebrated.

“Whether a garden opens once or over a number of decades every garden is important,” says Chairman, Rupert Tyler. “We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to all of our garden owners and all the volunteers who support them. Without their combined dedication and passion we would not have become the most significant funder of nursing charities in the UK or been able to give £3,403,960 to our beneficiaries in 2023. And, as we head towards our centenary year in 2027, we would like to thank everyone who has helped create such a vibrant, inspiring and enduring community that gives so much pleasure to visitors and raises so much money for good causes.”

Volunteers take on a number of roles from county organisers and treasurers to publicity and social media support, each one ensuring the smooth running of National Garden Scheme garden openings. Many bake cakes and support individual garden openings too.

In 2024, some of our garden owners enjoyed a starring role when plants from their gardens were incorporated into the charity’s RHS Gold Medal winning garden designed by Tom Stuart-Smith (who has opened his own garden for the charity for 30 years too). As Tom says, “The donation of plants from garden owners exemplifies the spirit of generosity synonymous with the charity.”

You can read the full story of the plants donated to our Chelsea Show Garden here.

Read Mel and Janet Bates story of opening their garden for 36 years! Click here

One of the fabulous perks of volunteering for the National Garden Scheme is the opportunity to support the charity at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show (and other RHS shows) during the year.

To find out more about getting involved click here