It is thanks to the generosity of our Founders that Project Giving Back exists to give good causes the opportunity to have a presence at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Here our Project Director, Hattie Ghaui, explains more about how our gardens are funded.
March 14, 2022
RHS Chelsea Flower Show is an amazing storytelling platform, but it’s inaccessible to most charities because it can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to create a show garden there. Project Giving Back was founded by and is solely funded by two private individuals who had the imaginative idea to establish this unique grant-making organisation with the sole purpose of giving charitable organisations in the UK the opportunity to create a garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Our Founders, who have chosen to remain anonymous, are British/EU citizens, and both live in the UK as UK tax residents. As two RHS Life Members and keen gardeners, they understand the significant public platform that RHS Chelsea provides for good causes to catch the attention of a new audience, which can make a real difference in terms of awareness and fundraising.
Having enjoyed successful individual careers, they are now committed to helping a wide range of good causes at a time when, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, charities need a helping hand more than ever. They also feel strongly about the link between gardens and wellbeing in its widest sense and are keen to help push the broader conversation about the many benefits of gardening to the widest possible audience. A requirement of PGB funding is that the gardens are relocated after the show so they will live on and continue to make a positive difference to communities in the long term.
We will fund up to 14 gardens at RHS Chelsea Flower Show every year from 2022 to 2024. The total investment across the three years amounts to around £12m and the grants are to be used solely for the design, build and logistics of creating the gardens at the show. The budget for each garden is agreed on an individual basis, depending on the scale and ambition of the design and the plants and materials required for the build and relocation.
Project Giving Back is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered with the Charity Commission and eligible to claim Gift Aid. Project Giving Back Limited is registered with Companies House. We have put in place team of professionals to ensure funds are managed and audited appropriately and efficiently, including legal advisors to provide the trustees with advice on compliance and charity law obligations.
By remaining anonymous, our Founders are ensuring that attention is focused on the good causes we are supporting. We have a fantastic and diverse range of causes represented at this year’s show and our priority is helping them to tell their stories and make the most of this special opportunity.
To find out more about our 2022 gardens, please visit Our Gardens page here