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THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Registered charity 222879 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q1032739 · Wikipedia · also known as R H S, RHS · also registered in Scotland as SC038262 (OSCR)

The RHS was founded in 1804 to inspire passion and excellence in horticulture. We want to enrich everyone's life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place. To achieve our aim we undertake scientific research; provide education, training and horticultural advice; support community horticulture projects; and share our renowned gardens and shows with the public.

Objects

THE ENCOURAGEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE SCIENCE, ART AND PRACTICE OF HORTICULTURE IN ALL ITS BRANCHES.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED.

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · Economic/community Development/employment · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Westminster, London, England (from the postcode on the register)

Received the assets of THE NORTHERN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY (charity 519634) — merger registered 21/12/2007.
Source: Charity Commission register of merged charities (OGL v3.0).
Latest income
£133.7m
Latest spending
£137.4m
Registered
1963
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net loss of £8.2m for the year ended 31 January 2025, driven by inflationary pressures and visitor disruption at RHS Garden Wisley. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves moved from a positive £2.6m to a deficit of £3.6m, though the trustees maintain a going concern basis citing sufficient cash and investment reserves to continue operations for at least 12 months.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £168.0m; policy: £7.5m)
“as a result of the Society’s financial deficit in 2024/25, the General Reserve Fund moved from a positive £2.6m at the start of the year to a deficit of £3.6m.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Keith Weed (Trustee) - Essence Global Ltd invoiced £3.4m for media partnership and campaigns.
“Keith Weed – Essence Global Ltd (of which Keith Weed is a Non-Executive Director of the holding company WPP plc) invoiced the RHS £3.4m for media partnership and campaigns.”
“Pamela Maynard – Avanade UK Limited (of which Pamela Maynard was CEO) was paid £2m for Professional Fees for the RHS CRM project.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Pamela Maynard (Trustee) - Avanade UK Limited paid £2m for Professional Fees for the RHS CRM project.
“Keith Weed – Essence Global Ltd (of which Keith Weed is a Non-Executive Director of the holding company WPP plc) invoiced the RHS £3.4m for media partnership and campaigns.”
“Pamela Maynard – Avanade UK Limited (of which Pamela Maynard was CEO) was paid £2m for Professional Fees for the RHS CRM project.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Matthew Lindsey-Clark (Trustee) - Evercore Partners International LLP invoiced £38k for RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gala 2024.
“Keith Weed – Essence Global Ltd (of which Keith Weed is a Non-Executive Director of the holding company WPP plc) invoiced the RHS £3.4m for media partnership and campaigns.”
“Pamela Maynard – Avanade UK Limited (of which Pamela Maynard was CEO) was paid £2m for Professional Fees for the RHS CRM project.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Nicolas Dunn (Trustee) - Frank P Matthews Ltd paid £25k towards RHS Tree Fellowship support.
“Keith Weed – Essence Global Ltd (of which Keith Weed is a Non-Executive Director of the holding company WPP plc) invoiced the RHS £3.4m for media partnership and campaigns.”
“Pamela Maynard – Avanade UK Limited (of which Pamela Maynard was CEO) was paid £2m for Professional Fees for the RHS CRM project.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Crowe U.K. LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/01/2026

  • Volunteers: 2,157
  • Government income: £1,036,647 — contracts £808,064 (2), grants £228,583 (3); under 1% of the £133,675,000 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 101 (£60,001–£70,000: 49; £70,001–£80,000: 18; £80,001–£90,000: 14; £90,001–£100,000: 7; £110,001–£120,000: 2; £120,001–£130,000: 5; £140,001–£150,000: 1; £150,001–£200,000: 4; £200,001–£250,000: 1)
  • Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; payments to trustees for services to the charity
  • Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/01/2025

  • Volunteers: 2,081
  • Government income: £949,280 — grants £949,280 (5); under 1% of the £124,804,000 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 88 (£60,001–£70,000: 43; £70,001–£80,000: 14; £80,001–£90,000: 14; £90,001–£100,000: 6; £110,001–£120,000: 2; £120,001–£130,000: 4; £130,001–£140,000: 2; £150,001–£200,000: 1; £200,001–£250,000: 2)
  • Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; payments to trustees for services to the charity
  • Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/01/2024

  • Volunteers: 2,011
  • Government income: £240,574 — grants £240,574 (1); under 1% of the £120,496,000 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 80 (£60,001–£70,000: 15; £70,001–£80,000: 24; £80,001–£90,000: 13; £90,001–£100,000: 13; £100,001–£110,000: 4; £110,001–£120,000: 1; £130,001–£140,000: 1; £140,001–£150,000: 3; £150,001–£200,000: 4; £200,001–£250,000: 2)
  • Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; payments to trustees for services to the charity; other trustee benefit
  • Has a trading subsidiary

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

Corporate structure

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The Royal Horticultural Society (matched by registered charity number).

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

UK research funding (UKRI Gateway to Research)

Property (HM Land Registry)

37 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (29 freehold); recorded price paid £2.4m. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Trustpilot: RHS scores 2.0/5 from 278 reviews (source) — reviews usually concern the charity’s shops or services, not its charitable performance.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook (463,401 likes) · instagram (442K followers)

Advertised salaries (public job ads)

Roles this charity has advertised on CharityJob, matched on the exact employer name. A different source from the statutory pay bands above: these are asking salaries for vacancies, not what anyone was paid.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/01/2026)

Total income
£133.7m
Total spending
£137.4m
Cost of raising funds
£34.1m
Reserves (reported)
£0
Employees
1,269

Reported reserves equal ~0.0 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 2.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 25.5% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 3.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/01/2026£133.7m£137.4m
31/01/2025£124.8m£133.0m
31/01/2024£120.5m£124.8m
31/01/2023£122.1m£120.4m
31/01/2022£110.5m£102.9m

Common questions

Is THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net loss of £8.2m for the year ended 31 January 2025, driven by inflationary pressures and visitor disruption at RHS Garden Wisley. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves moved from a positive £2.6m to a deficit of £3.6m, though the trustees maintain a going concern basis citing sufficient cash and investment reserves to continue operations for at least 12 months. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe U.K. LLP.

Who funds THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY as a grant recipient include THE MOHN WESTLAKE FOUNDATION, ROYAL COMMISSION FOR THE EXHIBITION OF 1851, THE BAND TRUST, KUSUMA TRUST UK, THE CADOGAN CHARITY.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE MOHN WESTLAKE FOUNDATIONFY2023£3.1m
THE MOHN WESTLAKE FOUNDATIONFY2024£1.1m
ROYAL COMMISSION FOR THE EXHIBITION OF 1851FY2023£500kPlants for purpose
ROYAL COMMISSION FOR THE EXHIBITION OF 1851FY2022£300kPlants for purpose
THE BAND TRUSTFY2023£250kEducational
KUSUMA TRUST UKFY2025£200kRHS Lewisham Hospital
KUSUMA TRUST UKFY2024£200kRHS Lewisham Hospital garden and wellness programme
THE CADOGAN CHARITYFY2022£200k
THE CLORE DUFFIELD FOUNDATIONFY2024Unverified read£200kArts, heritage and education
THE CADOGAN CHARITYFY2024£200ksocial and welfare
KUSUMA TRUST UKFY2023£200kThe construction of a working garden at the RHS Lewisham Hospital and the development of wellness programming at the garden for 2.5 years
THE CADOGAN CHARITYFY2025£200ksocial and welfare
THE TOMLINSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£180k
THE SHANLY FOUNDATIONFY2025Unverified read£150k
H M SASSOON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025Unverified read£138k
THE TOMLINSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£100k
THE TOMLINSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£75k
THE ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATIONFY2023£75k
THE MATERIAL WORLD FOUNDATION LIMITEDFY2025£63k
JOHN LAING CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£60kGrowing green skills
THE ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATIONFY2022£50k
THE HDH WILLS 1965 CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£50k
ALLAN AND NESTA FERGUSON CHARITABLE SETTLEMENTFY2022£50k
PETER SOWERBY FOUNDATIONFY2025£33kfor a collaboration with the National Health Service and Leeds Teaching Hospitals on a transformative project to establish a Community Wellbeing Hub at St James
THE CHRISTOPHER AND HENRY OLDFIELD TRUSTFY2023£25k
The Marks Family Charitable TrustFY2026£25k
The Marks Family Charitable TrustFY2025£25k
THE KIRBY LAING FOUNDATIONFY2025£25kEducation & Training
THE HDH WILLS 1965 CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£25kMartin Wills Fund - Conservation and wildlife charities
THE BAND TRUSTFY2022£25kSpecific grantee
THE STEVENSON FAMILY'S CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£25kConservation and Heritage
THE CHRISTOPHER AND HENRY OLDFIELD TRUSTFY2022£25k
TOBY AND REGINA WYLES CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£22k
THE LENNOX HANNAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£22kThe advancement of environmental protection or improvement
THE LENNOX HANNAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£22kThe advancement of the arts, culture, heritage. or science
THE SHANLY FOUNDATIONFY2023Unverified read£20k
THE SHANLY FOUNDATIONFY2024£20k
THE GEOFF & FIONA SQUIRE FOUNDATIONFY2021£18k
H M SASSOON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2026£17k
DELVES CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£17k
DELVES CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£17k
THE CADOGAN CHARITYFY2023£15kAnglican community: social and welfare aspects
THE PHILIP MARSDEN FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2021£12k
THE ROSS WARBURTON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£10k
THE SHROPSHIRE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETYFY2024£10kto boost the income raised from the Wisley Bursary Trust
AMAR-FRANSES AND FOSTER-JENKINS TRUSTFY2025£10kThree year PhD scholarship
CHK FoundationFY2023£10k
THE CHRISTOPHER AND HENRY OLDFIELD TRUSTFY2024£10k
THE FINNIS SCOTT FOUNDATIONFY2022£10k
CHK FoundationFY2023£10k

Grants marked “Unverified read” were flagged by automated checks as possibly misread from the funder’s filed accounts. They are listed, but left out of the totals, counts and funder relationships this site computes.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund16/03/2026£3.8mGrowing Community Gardening as a Catalyst for Climate Action
The National Lottery Heritage Fund11/03/2026£247k"From Roots to Records: Empowering communities to create, preserve and celebrate South-West Plant Heritage via the RHS Herbarium"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund12/12/2022£25k"Explore: The Royal Horticultural Society"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund11/11/2021£67k"#Digital8 The Digital Dig: Uncovering BritainÂ’s Lost Plant Nurseries"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund28/01/2019£99k"Public Engagement with the heritage of RHS Garden Bridgewater – Potting Sheds Gallery"
The National Lottery Heritage Fund26/07/2016£4.1m"Inspiring People to Grow - RHS Garden Wisley"
City Bridge Foundation06/06/2013£25kGrant to Royal Horticultural Society
City Bridge Foundation02/12/2010£49kGrant to Royal Horticultural Society
The National Lottery Heritage Fund19/11/1998£1.8m"RHS Lindley Library Rehousing"

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
THE NATIONAL GARDEN SCHEME1£290k
THE SPECTRIS FOUNDATION1£65k
SCOULOUDI FOUNDATION1£45k
THE PRUDENCE TRUST1£40k
THE JOYCE LOMAX BULLOCK CHARITABLE TRUST1£26k
THE LESLIE MARY CARTER CHARITABLE TRUST1£5k
THE HORNERS CHARITY FUND1£5k
THE EARL FITZWILLIAM CHARITABLE TRUST1£3k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with ROYAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY£133.7m——below—no doubt
ROYAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY FY2025£684k£60,001 - £70,0002above—no doubt
THE ROYAL WELSH AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY LIMITED FY2025£7.8m£90,001 - £100,000—within—no doubt
ROYAL LANCASHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY FY2025£406k——unclear—no doubt
THE HERB SOCIETY LIMITED FY2026£68k—0unclear—no doubt
RUTLAND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY FY2025£514k—0unclear—no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.