The main areas that the Charity supports are:
- Education and training in horticulture.
- Conservation, maintenance and improvement of the environment.
- Changing public attitudes towards the natural environment for the better.
- Advancement of horticulture through science.
- Charities connected to The City of London.
The Charity is a separate body from the Company. It is registered with the Charity Commission and is numbered 1198790. Trustees are drawn from members of the Company. The Renter and Upper Wardens, Master and Immediate Past Master are ex officio Trustees while holding office.
The Charity is funded by members of the Company, many of whom make annual donations.
For further information about the Charity, please contact the Secretary.
You may apply for a grant from the charity here.
Recent beneficiaries of grants from the charity include:
Rehabilitating people with spinal injuries
The Worshipful Company of Gardeners of London Charity granted £1,000 per annum for three years to Horatio’s Garden, a nationwide charity which provides accessible gardens to 11 regional NHS spinal injury centres across the UK. Ninety-one percent of patients say that Horatio’s Garden has positively affected their mental health, with eighty-eight percent saying it has helped their rehabilitation.
Finding a career in horticulture for mental health sufferers
In 2022 The Worshipful Company of Gardeners of London Charity granted £30,000 over three years to Thrive, a charity which runs gardening courses for people with mental health problems with the aim of setting them up for a career in horticulture. So far 117 people have benefitted from attending Thrive’s Growing Out Pathway project.
School children with learning disabilities
The Worshipful Company of Gardeners of London Charity granted £1,500 to the Holly Lodge Centre in Richmond Park to support gardening sessions for children with learning disabilities. In 2023, 19 gardening workshops were provided with the aid of this grant.
Memory garden for dementia patients
Dementia Support in Chichester is a unique facility for dementia sufferers providing a full range of services to help them navigate their daily challenges. The Worshipful Company of Gardeners of London Charity granted £2,700 to Dementia Support to facilitate the creation of a garden from a disused patch of land next to their premises. The visual and sensual aspects of a well-kept garden have proven benefits to dementia sufferers.
Supporting Ex-Servicemen
Care for Veterans is a residential facility for disabled ex-servicemen with neurological or physical issues. Light gardening activity has proven to be helpful to their wellbeing and The Worshipful Company of Gardeners of London Charity granted £1,000 to help them buy essential supplies such as seeds, compost etc.
Helping vulnerable women
The Church Homeless Trust runs a scheme in Westminster providing housing and support to homeless women with complex mental health issues. The Worshipful Company of Gardeners of London Charity granted £500 for gardening material and equipment to support the work of the horticultural therapists who play a key part in the rehabilitation of the residents.
