Our Affiliated Societies champion the benefits of gardening among their members and in their communities
Any gardening club, allotment association, flower arranging society, friends of a garden or community gardening group can become an RHS Affiliated Society. Groups can access a range of RHS benefits to inspire their members and build connections with other societies to share gardening knowledge.
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It costs just £47 annually (£57 for overseas groups) to affiliate with the RHS, for which your society or group receives the following benefits:
Membership has a long heritage, with the first regional gardening groups connecting with the Horticultural Society of London (now the RHS) 150 years ago. This was initiated by Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke who put forward a plan for there to be a union between the RHS and the various provincial societies.
During wartime Britain, more groups joined (especially those involved with wartime food production) and today there are 2,500 societies across the UK and overseas who are all actively championing the benefits of gardening in their communities, helping more people to develop a love of plants and being outdoors.
In 1820 the Banksian medal was instituted in honour of Sir Joseph Banks, one of the founders of the RHS. Initially it was awarded to exhibitors of objects bought to general meetings but, by the late nineteenth century, was given to societies for distribution at their local exhibitions.
Today, RHS Affiliated Societies who hold an annual show receive a replica of the original Banksian medal, which is awarded to the person who receives the most points in a show’s horticultural classes – fruit, flowers and vegetables.
Plan a visit to an RHS Garden with your affiliated society.
¶¶ÒõÊÓƵ is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.
