New Ambassador for National Garden Scheme

Rachel de Thame, one of the country’s favourite gardening media personalities, has been appointed an Ambassador for the National Garden Scheme.

The NGS is delighted to welcome Rachel, who will help to promote the work of the NGS and their unique array of some 3,700 gardens that are open to visitors, as well as highlighting the rewards that can be gained from visiting.

She will also champion the charity’s promotion of gardens and health and the wider impact of its annual donations.

Rachel has been a regular presenter on Gardeners’ World for more than 20 years and is a member of the team at the major flower shows, including Chelsea, and on other series including Great British Garden Revival and Countrywise. She writes regularly for The Sunday Times and The Garden Magazine as well as contributing to a variety of other publications.

George Plumptre, CEO of the National Garden Scheme remarks that they are thrilled that Rachel has agreed to join them as Ambassador: “Her passion for plants and enthusiasm for the promotion of gardens for health and wellbeing, fit seamlessly with our work at the National Garden Scheme. Having Rachel on board will help to raise the profile of our gardens and encourage more people to discover the pleasures of visiting gardens,” he said.

Speaking about her appointment Rachel added: “Gardeners love to share their carefully tended plots and knowledge of treasured plants with like-minded people.  This coupled with our ever-increasing awareness and appreciation of the mental and physical health benefits, to be gained not only from the physical act of gardening, but from simply spending time outdoors in beautiful gardens, gives us all the incentive we could need to visit gardens.  This has become very personal for me.

I know from first-hand experience that wellness and gardens go hand in hand, so It’s a huge privilege to become an Ambassador for the National Garden Scheme, which raises funds in the most wonderful way, in order to help us all, today and in the future.”

The NGS gives visitors unique access to exceptional private gardens in England and Wales and raises impressive amounts of money for nursing and health charities through admissions, teas and cake.

Thanks to the generosity of garden owners, volunteers and visitors they have donated over £58 million to nursing and health charities and made an annual donation of £3 million in 2019.

For more information on the work of the National Garden Scheme please visit them at: www.ngs.org.uk

Picture credit: ©NGS/Rachel de Thame