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What is the RHS Treasurer?

The RHS Treasurer advises the RHS President and RHS Council on the organisation’s financial and commercial affairs, including those of its trading subsidiaries. As a key strategic leader, the RHS Treasurer safeguards the charity’s financial health, sustainability, and strategic direction – ensuring we continue to enrich lives through gardening for generations to come.

This role demands sharp financial acumen, strategic insight, and excellent interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with key stakeholders, including the RHS President, RHS Director General, RHS Finance Director, and the wider Board of Trustees.

Financial stewardship

• Champion innovation, growth and financial discipline in the commercial operating model of the RHS
• Oversee short and long-term financial planning of the RHS and the performance of its investment portfolio to safeguard its financial strength and build reserves
• Provide robust oversight of risk, budgetary and cost management processes
• Interpret complex financial reports, providing insightful commentary in an accessible way to RHS Council and at the RHS Annual General Meeting
• Ensure compliance with all legal and regulatory financial obligations, including charity law, the RHS Royal Charter nd Bye-laws

Governance and leadership

• Chair the RHS Finance and Commercial Board with a focus on analysis, insight and actionable advice
• Deputise for the RHS President as a valued RHS representative at public engagements and meetings when needed
• Contribute to the execution of commercial and charitable strategic priorities and goals balancing
• Immediate operational needs with long-term growth and risk management
• Work closely with other statutory board and committee Chairs, to ensure effective oversight and alignment

Collaboration and stakeholder engagement

• Foster productive, challenging yet respectful relationships with the RHS President, RHS Council and the Executive team
• Act as a trusted advisor and critical friend to the RHS Director of Finance and RHS Director General, meeting regularly and as needed
• Support the organisation’s strategic goals by offering insight, advice and connections or networks that enhance its financial resilience and performance
• Represent the RHS externally as needed, acting as a champion and ambassador for its work, donor engagement and values

The RHS Treasurer combines financial expertise with a strong commitment to our growth oriented vision. You will be tactful, disciplined and a strong listener who is personable and collaborative. You will have a sense of fun and perspective, able to balance seriousness with the enjoyment of the role.

• Passionate about gardening, committed to the values and future direction of the RHS
• Non-executive experience in charity and/or commercial environments
• Strategic mindset, with an appreciation of the short, medium and long term financial and operational needs of a large, complex charity
• Strong financial expertise and relevant commercial experience
• Flexible, personable and collaborative with an ability to interpret and communicate financial information effectively to a variety of audiences
• Strong network of relevant corporate and commercial contacts
• Accountancy qualification (optional)

The RHS Treasurer is elected annually by the membership at the RHS Annual General Meeting (AGM) and may serve for up to five years with the possibility of two further annual terms if agreed exceptionally by RHS Council and members. This role will begin following the RHS AGM in July 2026.

• Attend six RHS Council meetings per year and the AGM – some RHS Council meetings are not held in London
• Chair the RHS Finance and Commercial Board and serve as an ex-officio member on other RHS  Statutory groups (principally the RHS Audit and Risk Committee, Investments sub-committee and the Governance and People Committee), each of which meets between two and five times per year
• Visit RHS Gardens and attend RHS events, including donor engagement and similar meetings at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
• Participate in strategy away days and occasional ad-hoc meetings with the RHS President, RHS Director General and members of the RHS Leadership Team

Overall, be available for RHS business for around two days per month (on average).

Nomination forms for RHS Treasurer:

• Nomination form – RHS Treasurer (92kB Word doc)
• Supporter form – RHS Treasurer (65kB Word doc)

Please send all nomination forms to The Secretary by post to RHS, 80 Vincent Square, London SW1P 2PE or email [email protected].

For any further information or if you would like to express an interest in the role, please send a short biography or CV and a cover letter explaining your interest and suitability to [email protected].

What is the RHS President?

The RHS President acts as the figurehead of the RHS, providing leadership and direction to the trustees to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities for the overall governance and strategic direction of the RHS and representing the charity externally as appropriate. The RHS President oversees the development of the organisation’s aims, objectives and goals in accordance with the Charter and Bye-Laws and other regulatory and legal guidelines and provides support and guidance to the RHS Director General to ensure that trustee decisions are acted upon and that the RHS is managed in an effective manner.

Accountability

The RHS President is accountable to RHS Council and the members of the RHS and, as a trustee, more generally to the Charity Commission and the public at large.

Main responsibilities

The main responsibilities of the RHS President are to:

• Oversee, in a non-executive capacity, the development, delivery and review of the RHS Strategy, structure and policies
• Ensure that the RHS functions within the legal and regulatory framework and in accordance with the RHS Charter and Bye-laws
• Provide support and guidance to the RHS Director General in the implementation of the RHS Strategy and policies and monitor their performance
• Achieve the optimal composition of Council and lead the succession process for the RHS Director General at the appropriate time
• Ensure the smooth functioning of RHS Council and relationships between RHS Council and
• the Leadership team
• Ensure that the RHS manages its resources carefully and applies them exclusively in pursuance of its objectives
• Uphold the fiduciary duty invested in the position, undertaking such duties in a way that adds to public confidence and trust in the charity

Main duties

The main duties of the President are to:

• Oversee the development of the future direction of the RHS, including the executive strategic plans and policies as well as the annual budget
• Promote the RHS and decisions of RHS Council and act as an ambassador and public face for the charity
• With the support of the RHS Treasurer, oversee sound financial management of the organisation’s resources, ensuring expenditure is in line with objectives and that investment activities meet accepted standards and policies
• Monitor the work and activities of the RHS including approval of the annual accounts and undertaking an annual review of RHS performance
• Support the RHS Director General and other members of the Leadership Team and, through them, the RHS’s staff in the achievement of its work
• Consider any other matters that affect the work, performance and reputation of the RHS

Carrying out the role

The RHS President is expected to commit an average of one to two days per week to the RHS, which will vary over the course of the year, and to:

• Chair meetings of RHS Council which are held typically six times each year including annual strategic away days taking place over two days. Agree and manage the agendas for these meetings, ensuring that trustees have the necessary information and time for discussion of complex or contentious issues and that the style and tone of the debate invites open discussion and promotes effective decision-making. Promote a culture of collegiality, challenge, openness and trust with opportunities for full and frank, but constructive, airing of views
• Chair the RHS Annual General Meeting and ensure effective communication between the members and RHS Council
• Meet regularly with the RHS Director General to give support and guidance and act as a sounding board and mentor
• Actively support RHS fundraising activities; develop and build relationships with current and prospective donors
• Represent the RHS from time to time at functions, external events and meetings both in the UK and occasional trips abroad
• Serve, and as required Chair, at the request of RHS Council, on RHS Boards and Committees
• Attend, as an ex officio member and when appropriate, meetings of the Finance and Commercial Board; the Governance and People Committee; the Horticulture and Sustainability Board; the Audit & Risk Committee; and the Investments Sub-Group
• Ensure that processes are in place to review periodically the performance of RHS Council and each of its statutory groups
• Make recommendations to RHS Council for the appointment of RHS Vice Presidents
• Maintain absolute confidentiality of sensitive and confidential information received in the course of undertaking the role of the RHS President and/or a trustee of the RHS
• Act in the best interests of the RHS at all times

Term of office

The RHS President is appointed for a term of one year, expiring at the end of the RHS Annual General Meeting in the year following their election. The term is renewable, by election, for up to five years unless the members agree (exceptionally) to elect the same individual for up to a maximum of two further one year terms. The RHS President shall hold office from the end of the RHS Annual General Meeting at which they are declared elected.

Ideal skills, experience and abilities

• Able to demonstrate a passion for and some knowledge of horticulture and gardening
• Experience of successful leadership and board-level decision-making within a sizeable and complex organisation in business and/or the not-for-profit sector
• Experience of and skill in chairing meetings with a broad agenda and in obtaining consensus.
• Able to work as part of a team and to lead that team and/or intervene as appropriate
• Proven commercial and financial acumen with an ability to think strategically and exercise independent judgement
• Experience at board level of large project evaluation and performance management
• Success in building, protecting and enhancing the reputation of an organisation with external bodies, the media, customers and the public
• Ability to communicate effectively, including public speaking to large groups and talking to the media, and to act as an organisation champion with a variety of stakeholders
• Effective, engaging and approachable with people at all levels, both internally and externally
• Capacity to command respect and to exercise authority
• Possession of a network of contacts with the capacity to make relevant new links for the RHS
• Comfortable with fundraising and networking
• Director experience of good corporate and charity governance and in particular an understanding of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trustees
• Able and willing to give an average of one to two days per week to RHS business with no significant potential conflicts of interest

What is the RHS Council?

RHS Council is the governing body of the RHS with overall responsibility for the organisation including:

• The future direction of the charity
• Monitoring delivery and management of the RHS Strategy
• Management of RHS assets
• The performance of the RHS

It is the guardian of the RHS role as ‘learned Society’.

RHS Council’s duty is to ensure that the RHS carries out its objects as set out in its Charter, namely:

• The encouragement and improvement of the science, art and practice of horticulture in all its branches

Delegation of powers

RHS Council is supported in its work by Statutory Groups and delegates certain amounts of authority to these groups as detailed in their terms of reference.

Principal statutory groups are the Finance and Commercial Board, Horticulture and Sustainability Board, Audit and Risk Committee and the Governance and People Committee. These groups all have delegated authority from Council to make decisions within their remit. Guidance and Oversight Groups provide RHS Council with advice on particular areas of activity such as education, science and gardens and the charity’s important RHS Expert Groups provide deeper knowledge of cultivated plants and horticulture.

All the groups described above may comprise of both members of RHS Council and other members of the RHS.

Neither RHS Council nor the other decision-making statutory groups are involved in the day-to-day running of the RHS. This is delegated to the RHS’s staff. However, RHS Council retains the ultimate responsibility for the actions of staff.

Frequency of meetings

RHS Council typically meets six times a year. In addition, RHS Council Members are expected to attend strategic away days held over two days once each year and the RHS Annual General Meeting, which is held in London or at one of the RHS Gardens.

RHS Council Members will generally also serve on one or more of the Boards or committees described above, in addition to their position on RHS Council.

The role of members of RHS Council

The RHS Council currently comprises 17 members who also serve as the charitable trustees of the RHS. This includes the RHS President and RHS Treasurer, both of whom serve as ex officio members of RHS Council.

Members of RHS Council are responsible for all aspects of the RHS’s affairs and for ensuring that the organisation delivers public benefit. They also ensure that the income and property of the RHS are used only for the purposes set out in the Charter and Bye-Laws and for no other purpose. Members of RHS Council have a responsibility to act reasonably, proportionately and prudently in all matters relating to the RHS and to act in the best interests of the RHS at all times. The principle of collective responsibility applies.

Term of office

Members of RHS Council usually serve a term of five years, which may be renewed, by election, for a further term of five years.

Eligibility

To serve as a member of the RHS Council, those seeking election must:

• Have been an individual RHS Member of the RHS since 28 February 2023, (or inexceptional circumstances, RHS Council may waive this requirement in accordance with the Bye-laws and Regulations for Election to RHS Council) and remain an RHS Member at 1 March 2026, the date of election andthroughout their term of office
• Be aged over 18 years on the date of the 2026 RHS Annual General Meeting
• Not have already completed 10 years’ service as a member of the RHS Council (unless at least five years have elapsed since the completion of the 10 years previous service and RHS Council has agreed that it is in the interests of the RHS that the individual be made eligible to serve for one further term of up to five years maximum)

In addition, some people are disqualified by law from acting as charity trustees, including anyone described in Section 72(1) of the Charities Act 1993, as amended by the Charities Act 2006, Schedule 8, paragraph 156. Broadly, this covers:

• Anyone who has been convicted of an offence involving dishonesty or deception, unless the conviction is spent
• Anyone who is an undischarged bankrupt or is the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or an interim order
• Anyone who has been removed from trusteeship of a charity by the court or the Charity Commission
• Anyone who has a disqualification order under the Company Directors’ Disqualification Act 1986

Candidates completing nomination papers for election are required to certify that they are not disqualified from office. In accordance with guidance from the Charity Commission, the RHS undertakes checks to ensure a candidate’s eligibility.

Liability

As a trustee, the role of a member of RHS Council is an extremely important one and carries both responsibilities and liabilities. A member of RHS Council has a duty to act in good faith and in the best interests of the RHS. It is important therefore that members of RHS Council avoid conflicts with their personal or other professional interests.

Where a potential conflict of interest exists, members of RHS Council are required to declare that interest and, in
most cases, not take part in any decision on the matter concerned. In the interest of openness, a register of relevant interests is maintained. Restrictions also apply on members of RHS Council or connected parties who might wish to enter into a contract with the organisation or any of its trading companies for the supply of goods and services.

For further information, contact The Secretary.

In exercising the role of trustee, an individual can be held liable for:

• Breach of trust – for example, spending money inappropriately
• Breach of fiduciary and statutory duties – for example, using assets to procure benefits for the trustee
• Fraudulent trading – for example, incurring a debt knowing it cannot be repaid
• Failure to comply with statutory requirements – for example, health and safety, taxation law etc

View a copy of the Charity Commission’s booklet, The Essential Trustee: What you need to know (1.3MB pdf), which provides further general information on serving as a trustee.

Why become a member of the RHS Council

As a member of RHS Council, you would have the opportunity to positively influence the RHS and help make a difference to the way that horticulture and gardening develop in the UK. In return for providing the RHS with your time and expertise, you would gain an opportunity to develop your personal/professional skills as well as a chance to obtain a sense of achievement and satisfaction from making a contribution to the work of the charity.

Reimbursement of expenses

Serving as a member of the RHS Council is a voluntary activity that is not remunerated. As a charity, the RHS cannot by law pay members of RHS Council a salary or provide any benefit in kind. However, the Society does operate an expenses scheme that will reimburse the reasonable cost of undertaking trustee duties.

Nomination forms for RHS President:

• Nomination form – RHS President (91kB Word doc)
• Supporter form – RHS President (64kB Word doc)

Nomination forms for RHS Council:

• Nomination form – RHS Council (92kB Word doc)
• Supporter form – RHS Council (64kB Word doc)

Please send all nomination forms to The Secretary by post to RHS, 80 Vincent Square, London SW1P 2PE or email [email protected].

For any further information or if you would like to express an interest in standing for RHS Council, please send a short biography or CV and a cover letter explaining your interest and suitability to [email protected].