Royal Horticultural Society raises £18m by lease of property

Finance | Niki May Young | 21 Dec 2011

The Royal Horticultural Society has raised £18m from the lease of its Lawrence Hall and Conference Centre, and will embark on a fundraising campaign to raise a further £9m ahead of the most extensive programme of investment in its history.

Yesterday's announcement by the 207-year-old charity follows a governance restructure in late 2010, which saw a slimmed-down senior management team and a new core objective of achieving growth for the charity.

RHS's announcement outlines some of the most significant changes in the charity's history. Sue Biggs, who became director general in 2010 following the resignation of predecessor Inga Grimsey, said: "Our plans will help transform communities, add much needed scientific knowledge and safeguard horticulture for the benefit of future generations and the environment."

The granting of the 999-year lease of Lawrence Hall and Conference Centre has raised £18m for the charity and a fundraising drive will be conducted over the next five years to raise an additional £9m.

The total of £27m will be used to provide a number of new ventures, including the creation of a world-class scientific research centre, the RHS's first inner-city garden for educational purposes and regional centres in both urban and rural locations. Further developments to existing sites will also be made including the addition of an exhibition space and teaching rooms at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey, the significant increase in horticultural content at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex, and an investment in the RHS's online presence.

Biggs appointment as director general followed a term of controversy which led to the resignation of Grimsey, who had received severe criticism when she announced 80 redundancies in June 2009.The charity had suffered a period of financial struggle earlier in the year, despite having achieved a £3.1m surplus in 2008.

Biggs herself announced the redundancy of three directors and two further staff and the merging of several further roles in the restructure following her appointment in 2010.

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