THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Charity overview
Activities - how the charity spends its money
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.
Income and expenditure
Data for financial year ending 31 January 2024
Total income:
£120,496,000
Donations and legacies | £14.96m | |
Charitable activities | £65.32m | |
Other trading activities | £38.87m | |
Investments | £598.00k | |
Other | £747.00k |
Total expenditure:
£124,815,000
Raising funds | £30.36m | |
Charitable activities | £93.97m | |
Other | £486.00k |
-£2,259,000 investments gains (losses)
Total income includes £240,574 from 1 government grant(s)
Charitable expenditure
Charitable expenditure with investment gains
Charitable expenditure
Some charities generate all, or a substantial part, of their income from investments which may have been donated to the charity as endowment or set aside by the charity from its own resources in the past. Such investments usually take the form of stocks and shares but may include other assets, such as property, that are capable of generating income and/or capital growth.
In managing their spending and investments charities need to strike a balance between the needs of future and current beneficiaries. They also need to take account of spending commitments that may stretch over a number of future years. To do this, charities will normally adopt an investment strategy designed to generate both income and capital growth. To maximise returns trustees may commit to investment strategies for several years.
Investments can experience large swings in value so trustees may, in a particular year, decide to realise and spend part of their charity’s capital or to invest part of its income.
By clicking the investment gains checkbox the charitable spending bar is adjusted to take account of capital growth as well as income. This shows the balance the charity is striking, between spending on current beneficiaries and retaining resources for future beneficiaries.
Raising funds and other expenditure | £30.84m | |
Charitable expenditure | £93.97m |
People

1232 Employee(s)
16 Trustee(s)
2011 Volunteer(s)
Employees with total benefits over £60,000
Number of employees | |
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£60k to £70k | 15 |
£70k to £80k | 24 |
£80k to £90k | 13 |
£90k to £100k | 13 |
£100k to £110k | 4 |
£110k to £120k | 1 |
£130k to £140k | 1 |
£140k to £150k | 3 |
£150k to £200k | 4 |
£200k to £250k | 2 |
Fundraising
Trading
Trustee payments
What, who, how, where
- Education/training
- Arts/culture/heritage/science
- Environment/conservation/heritage
- Economic/community Development/employment
- Children/young People
- The General Public/mankind
- Makes Grants To Individuals
- Provides Buildings/facilities/open Space
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Sponsors Or Undertakes Research
- Throughout England And Wales
- Northern Ireland
- Scotland
Governance
- 09 June 1995: Standard registration
- R H S (Working name)
- RHS (Working name)
- Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
- Complaints handling
- Complaints policy and procedures
- Conflicting interests
- Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
- Financial reserves policy and procedures
- Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
- Internal risk management policy and procedures
- Investing charity funds policy and procedures
- Investment
- Paying staff
- Risk management
- Safeguarding policy and procedures
- Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
- Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
- Social media policy and procedures
- Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
- Trustee expenses policy and procedures
- Volunteer management
Trustees
Trustees are the people responsible for controlling the work, management and administration of the charity on behalf of its beneficiaries. Generally trustees are treasurer, chair, board member etc. The trustees are responsible for keeping this list up to date and can do this by updating their details as they happen through the online service
16 Trustee(s)
Name | Role | Date of appointment | Other trusteeships | Reporting status of other trusteeships | ||||
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Keith Charles Frederick Weed CBE | Chair | 31 July 2020 |
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Elizabeth Margaret Nicholson | Trustee | 10 July 2024 |
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Susan Jane Beesley | Trustee | 14 July 2023 |
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Claire Rose Austin | Trustee | 14 July 2023 |
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Anthony Kirkham | Trustee | 14 June 2022 |
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Darren Share | Trustee | 14 June 2022 |
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Tazim Essani | Trustee | 14 June 2022 |
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Pamela Maynard | Trustee | 25 June 2021 |
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Prof Nicola Spence | Trustee | 25 June 2021 |
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Wesley Albert Kerr | Trustee | 25 June 2021 |
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Ruth Willmott | Trustee | 25 June 2019 |
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Nicholas Dunn | Trustee | 25 June 2019 |
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Kate Lampard | Trustee | 12 June 2017 |
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Matthew Philip Lindsey-Clark | Trustee | 27 June 2016 |
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PROFESSOR MICHAEL JOHN CRAWLEY FRS | Trustee | 25 June 2015 |
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DR DAVID A H RAE | Trustee | 25 June 2015 |
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Financial history
Financial period end date
Income / Expenditure | 31/01/2020 | 31/01/2021 | 31/01/2022 | 31/01/2023 | 31/01/2024 | ||
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Total gross income | £102.14m | £67.36m | £110.52m | £122.10m | £120.50m | |
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Total expenditure | £93.66m | £66.87m | £102.89m | £120.42m | £124.82m | |
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Income from government contracts | £1.11m | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
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Income from government grants | £3.99m | £4.13m | £588.51k | £621.26k | £240.57k | |
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Income - Donations and legacies | £16.82m | £11.59m | £12.18m | £19.06m | £14.96m | |
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Income - Other trading activities | £412.00k | £17.03m | £31.68m | £30.85m | £38.87m | |
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Income - Charitable activities | £56.43m | £32.14m | £64.82m | £71.43m | £65.32m | |
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Income - Endowments | £0 | £8.00k | £3.50k | £0 | £0 | |
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Income - Investment | £586.00k | £220.00k | £37.00k | £106.00k | £598.00k | |
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Income - Other | £27.89m | £567.00k | £1.85m | £656.00k | £747.00k | |
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Income - Legacies | £2.59m | £1.46m | £833.19k | £4.98m | £2.53m | |
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Expenditure - Charitable activities | £72.22m | £50.77m | £80.23m | £96.27m | £93.97m | |
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Expenditure - Raising funds | £21.31m | £15.86m | £22.15m | £23.60m | £30.36m | |
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Expenditure - Governance | £1.21m | £914.00k | £254.00k | £1.24m | £1.27m | |
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Expenditure - Grants institution | £0 | £0 | £15.00k | £0 | £0 | |
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Expenditure - Investment management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
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Expenditure - Other | £125.00k | £239.00k | £516.00k | £559.00k | £486.00k |
Assets and liabilities
Definitions for assets and liabilities
These are assets, other than investments, which are held for more than 12 months and used to run and administer the charity such as buildings, offices, exhibits and fixtures and fittings.
Long term InvestmentsInvestments are assets held by the charity with the sole aim of generating income which will be used for their charitable purposes such as deposit accounts, shares, rental property and unit trusts.
Investment assets are re-valued every year and included in the balance sheet at their current market value.
Long term investments are held for more than 12 months.
These are assets held generally for less than 12 months such as cash and bank balances, debtors, investments to be sold within the coming year and trading stock.
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liabilityThis is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.
Total liabilitiesThese are all the amounts owed by the charity at the balance sheet date to third parties such as bills due but not yet paid, bank overdrafts and loans and mortgages.
Asset / Liability | 31/01/2020 | 31/01/2021 | 31/01/2022 | 31/01/2023 | 31/01/2024 | ||
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Own use assets | £146.87m | £170.12m | £149.44m | £175.08m | £171.13m | |
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Long-term investments | £60.78m | £35.76m | £74.62m | £50.84m | £51.30m | |
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Other assets | £17.26m | £18.42m | £19.92m | £21.72m | £16.72m | |
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Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability | -£5.94m | -£7.66m | -£5.47m | -£320.00k | £0 | |
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Total liabilities | £42.91m | £39.96m | £50.41m | £52.14m | £51.43m |
Accounts and annual returns
Title | Reporting year | Date received | Received | Download |
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Annual return | 31 January 2024 | 12 November 2024 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 January 2024 | 12 November 2024 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 January 2023 | 28 November 2023 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 January 2023 | 28 November 2023 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 January 2022 | 02 November 2022 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 January 2022 | 02 November 2022 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 January 2021 | 29 November 2021 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 January 2021 | 29 November 2021 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 January 2020 | 30 November 2020 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 January 2020 | 30 November 2020 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Governing document
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.
ROYAL CHARTER GRANTED 10 NOVEMBER 1987, AND BYE LAWS ADOPTED 28 APRIL 1987 AS AMENDED 21 FEBRUARY 1995, 17 FEBRUARY 1998, 30 JUNE 2005 AND 1 JULY 2008 AND ORDER OF THE CHARITY COMMISSIONERS DATED 20 APRIL 2005. AS AMENDED ON 27 JUN 2016 null as amended on 19 Feb 2021 null
Charitable objects
THE ENCOURAGEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE SCIENCE, ART AND PRACTICE OF HORTICULTURE IN ALL ITS BRANCHES.
Area of benefit
NOT DEFINED.
Linked charities
- 09 June 1995 : Standard registration
Contact information
- Address:
-
THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
80 VINCENT SQUARE
LONDON
SW1P 2PE
- Phone:
- 020 3176 5800
- Email:
- secretary@rhs.org.uk
- Website:
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