The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is bracing for a shift in funding as Project Giving Back, the philanthropic initiative responsible for sponsoring 63 show gardens since 2022, prepares to conclude its support after this year’s event. The charity, funded by two anonymous donors who have collectively contributed over £23 million, announced its departure, leaving the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) seeking new charitable sponsors for 2027.
Project Giving Back was established in 2022 in response to the financial pressures facing UK charities, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent cost-of-living crisis. The initiative aimed to provide a platform for charitable organizations to raise awareness of their causes through the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show. Since its inception, Project Giving Back has filled a gap left by dwindling corporate sponsorship, which peaked in 2016 with companies like the Daily Telegraph investing heavily in show gardens.
This year’s beneficiaries of Project Giving Back’s funding include Asthma & Lung UK, the Children’s Society, the Eden Project, and Parkinson’s UK. The charity’s impact extends beyond simply funding garden construction; it has facilitated the relocation and reuse of gardens, ensuring a lasting community benefit. Project Giving Back gardens have won the coveted Best in Show accolade three times, including a rewilding landscape in 2022 that sparked debate within the gardening community for its naturalistic approach.
The RHS acknowledged the significant role Project Giving Back played in supporting charities, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. “Over its 100-year history, RHS Chelsea flower show has always attracted sponsors and charities… Over the last five years, and in the aftermath of the pandemic, Project Giving Back played a significant role in supporting modest and large charities,” an RHS spokesperson stated. The RHS emphasized that the Chelsea Flower Show remains its largest fundraising event, enabling engagement with gardening across the UK.
Hattie Ghaui, CEO of Project Giving Back, explained that the charity was initially conceived as a three-year project, extended by two years due to its positive impact. “This is our final year of funding gardens for good causes through application for the RHS Chelsea flower show,” Ghaui said. She added that the organization intends to share its experiences and create a “blueprint” for future sponsors, but will be wound down after the 2026 show.
The charity’s final garden, designed by James Basson of Scape Design, will offer a dramatic landscape inspired by the warm climate of southern France. The design features towering red sandstone cliffs and planting resilient to warmer temperatures, potentially offering a glimpse of future UK gardens adapting to climate change. Basson previously won Best in Show at Chelsea in 2017 with a garden for M&G Investments, inspired by a Maltese quarry.
The RHS is now actively seeking new charitable funding to maintain the show’s support for good causes. The departure of Project Giving Back follows the end of a long-term sponsorship by M&G Investments in 2020, with Range Rover currently serving as lead sponsor for 2026. The future funding model for charitable gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show remains uncertain.
