The National Garden Scheme

Charity Number: 1112664

Annual Expenditure: £5.4M
Throughout England And Wales, Guernsey, Jersey, Northern Ireland

Contact Info

Website: www.ngs.org.uk

Phone: 01483 211535

Email: gplumptre@ngs.org.uk

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £3.5 million+ (£3,501,227 in 2024)
  • Community Garden Grants: £294,260 distributed in 2025
  • Success Rate: Approximately 39% (117 grants awarded from first 300 applications)
  • Decision Time: 24 weeks (applications October, decisions April)
  • Grant Range: £1,500 - £5,000
  • Geographic Focus: England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Channel Islands

Contact Details

Website: www.ngs.org.uk

Email: gplumptre@ngs.org.uk (Chief Executive)

Phone: 01483 211535

Application Portal: https://communitygrants.ngs.org.uk/

Overview

Founded in 1927 to support district nurses, The National Garden Scheme is now the UK's most significant charitable funder of nursing. The charity has donated over £74 million since its inception by opening gardens of quality, character, and interest to the public. In 2024, NGS achieved a record donation of £3,501,227 to nursing, health, and gardening charities, with nearly 3,500 gardens opening to support fundraising. The Community Garden Grants programme, established in 2011 in memory of garden writer Elspeth Thompson, has distributed over £1.2 million to more than 500 community projects. In 2024, Chief Executive George Plumptre received the Royal Horticultural Society's Elizabeth Medal of Honour for his transformative 15-year leadership. The programme is now generously supported by a £1.5 million grant from the Julia Rausing Trust.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Community Garden Grants: £1,500 - £5,000 per project

  • First-come-first-served basis (only first 300 applications accepted)
  • Annual application window: Mid-September to Mid-October
  • Applications open at 10am on opening day and may close early if 300 applications received
  • Online portal submission required

Total Programme Funding: In 2025, £294,260 was distributed to 117 community garden projects

Priority Areas

The NGS welcomes applications for projects that:

  • Create or develop community gardens and allotments with a horticultural focus
  • Bring communities together through shared gardening spaces
  • Provide rehabilitation and regeneration projects
  • Support mental health and wellbeing through gardening
  • Foster diversity and inclusion
  • Support people with physical or mental disabilities
  • Provide training and development for young people
  • Share gardening knowledge and skills
  • Inspire a love of gardening

What They Don't Fund

  • Groups that received an NGS Community Garden Grant in the prior year (must wait at least one year before reapplying)
  • Projects outside England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Channel Islands
  • Individual applicants (must be a registered charity, Community Interest Company, or fully established community group)
  • Groups without a functioning non-personal bank account

Governance and Leadership

Key Personnel

Rupert Tyler - Chairman (since November 2020)

  • National Director at Brewin Dolphin, Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Securities Institute
  • NGS Trustee since 2014, Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners
  • Opens his London garden for NGS since 2009
  • Also serves as Trustee of Jerwood Charitable Trust and chairs Finance Committee at Ravensbourne College

George Plumptre - Chief Executive (retiring summer 2025)

  • Led NGS for 15 years, transforming the charity to record donation levels
  • Received RHS Elizabeth Medal of Honour for his contributions
  • Initiated focus on health and wellbeing benefits of gardens
  • Commissioned influential King's Fund report on Gardens and Health (2016)
  • Noted the NGS evolution: “It used to be much more insular – more restrictive fussing about things like whether gardens were tidy or not”

Dr Richard Claxton - Incoming Chief Executive (late 2025)

  • GP and advocate for nature-based therapies

Board of Trustees

  • Sue Phipps - Deputy Chairman, former magazine publishing professional
  • Andrew Ratcliffe - Honorary Treasurer, chartered accountant and past ICAEW president
  • John Newton OBE - Public health physician, Professor at University of Exeter
  • Lucy Hall - Former Editor of BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
  • Arit Anderson - Garden designer and Gardeners' World presenter
  • Mark Porter - RHS Vice President
  • Regional Chairmen representing East, South West, Wales and Marches, and North of England

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Submit online at https://communitygrants.ngs.org.uk/
  2. Application window: Opens 10am Monday 15 September, closes 12 noon Monday 20 October
  3. Critical: Only the first 300 submissions will be accepted for assessment

Decision Timeline

  • Applications open: Mid-September (10am)
  • Applications close: Mid-October (12 noon) or when 300 applications received
  • Assessment period: October - March
  • Notifications: Early April (approximately 24 weeks from submission)

Success Rates

Based on 2025 data: Approximately 39% success rate (117 grants awarded from first 300 applications). The programme is highly competitive due to the 300-application cap, and applications may close early if this limit is reached.

Reapplication Policy

Groups that received an NGS Community Garden Grant in the prior year cannot apply in the following year. Unsuccessful applicants appear to be able to reapply in subsequent years, though this is not explicitly stated in available materials.

Application Success Factors

Key Requirements for Strong Applications

  • Detailed cost breakdown: Essential to demonstrate value and planning
  • Visual documentation: Include photos or drawings showing current site conditions
  • Community benefit articulation: Clearly explain both immediate and long-term impacts
  • Diversity and inclusion: Projects supporting physical/mental disabilities or fostering diversity are particularly welcomed
  • Horticultural focus: Must demonstrate clear gardening/growing element

Examples of Recently Funded Projects

  • The Fathom Trust (Brecon Beacons): Created apothecary garden to expand social and therapeutic gardening activities
  • WHISH (Whitby & Esk Valley): Parent-led charity supporting 150+ children with disabilities transformed garden for growing and cooking
  • TWIGS Community Garden (Wiltshire): £3,887 for garden space supporting mental health through plant growing
  • Rhubarb Farm (Nottinghamshire): £1,352 for horticultural social enterprise training ex-offenders and people with health issues
  • Ponthafren (Montgomeryshire): £2,612 for raised beds, polytunnel, and water infrastructure supporting mental health

Terminology and Language

  • Emphasis on “quality, character and interest” rather than perfection or tidiness
  • Focus on “bringing communities together” and “shared spaces”
  • Value placed on “therapeutic” benefits and “wellbeing”
  • Recognition of gardening's role in supporting “vulnerable populations”

Standing Out

  • Therapeutic/health focus: Projects explicitly addressing mental health, physical disabilities, or wellbeing align with NGS's strategic priorities
  • Knowledge sharing: Demonstrate how the project will transfer gardening skills and inspire others
  • Sustainability: Show long-term viability and ongoing community engagement
  • Apply early: With only 300 applications accepted, submit as soon as applications open
  • Alignment with beneficiary work: Projects that complement the work of NGS's nursing and health charity beneficiaries may resonate

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Act fast on application day: With only 300 applications accepted, submit at 10am on 15 September to ensure consideration
  2. Emphasize health and wellbeing outcomes: NGS's strategic focus on gardens' therapeutic benefits makes mental health and disability support compelling
  3. Detail your costs meticulously: Financial transparency and realistic budgeting strengthen credibility
  4. Show community cohesion: Demonstrate how the project brings people together, builds skills, and creates lasting engagement
  5. Don't wait for perfection: NGS has evolved away from “restrictive fussing” about tidiness—focus on character, quality, and interest
  6. Ensure organizational readiness: Must have proper legal structure (charity/CIC/established group) and non-personal bank account before applying
  7. Plan for the long term: Show sustainability beyond the grant period with evidence of ongoing support and engagement

Similar Funders

These funders frequently fund the same charities:

References

  1. National Garden Scheme Official Website - Community Garden Grants. https://ngs.org.uk/who-we-are/community-garden-grants/
  2. National Garden Scheme. “Our Impact in 2024: A record £3,501,227 donation is helping to change lives.” https://ngs.org.uk/our-impact-in-2024-a-record-3501227-donation-is-helping-to-change-lives/
  3. National Garden Scheme. "Julia Rausing Trust announces £1.5 million grant to the National Garden Scheme's Community Garden Grants programme." https://ngs.org.uk/julia-rausing-trust-announces-1-5-million-grant-to-the-national-garden-schemes-community-garden-grants-programme/
  4. National Garden Scheme. “Applications for 2026 Community Garden Grants open soon.” https://ngs.org.uk/applications-for-2026-community-garden-grants-open-soon/
  5. National Garden Scheme. “Community Garden Grants 2025.” https://ngs.org.uk/community-garden-grants-2025/
  6. National Garden Scheme. “George Plumptre to retire as Chief Executive of the National Garden Scheme.” https://ngs.org.uk/george-plumptre-to-retire-as-chief-executive-of-the-national-garden-scheme/
  7. National Garden Scheme. “Top RHS award for National Garden Scheme Chief Executive.” https://ngs.org.uk/top-rhs-award-for-national-garden-scheme-chief-executive/
  8. National Garden Scheme. “New Chairman appointed to the National Garden Scheme.” https://ngs.org.uk/new-chairman-appointed-to-the-national-garden-scheme/
  9. National Garden Scheme. “Trustees.” https://ngs.org.uk/who-we-are/our-people/trustees/
  10. The Charity Commission for England and Wales. Register of Charities - The National Garden Scheme, Charity Number 1112664. https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1112664&subid=0
  11. Civil Society. “Meet the Funder: National Garden Scheme.” https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/fundraising/funder-the-national-garden-scheme.html