Dr Richard Claxton explains the history and reasons behind the National Open Gardens scheme and where all the raised money goes.
The background:
As another landmark year for the National Garden Scheme goes by with a record £3,875,596 donated from funds gathered at garden openings throughout the year, the donations helped thousands of people living with cancer, Parkinson’s, poor mental health, or the pressures of unpaid caring.
Our donations also reached hundreds of gardens and health projects. In 2025, 114 new gardens received Community Garden Grants*, and five new nurse-led projects were funded through our NGS Elsie Wagg (Innovation) Scholarships – bringing vital support to many communities, often in areas of deprivation. We also continued to fund the training and welfare of gardeners, whose skills underpin horticulture throughout the country.
Commenting on this year’s donations, National Garden Scheme Chief Executive Dr Richard Claxton said: “It’s nearly 100 years since our charity was formed to support district nursing, and our commitment to nursing care remains central. Long-term partnerships with Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Parkinson’s UK, the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing, Hospice UK and Carers Trust are the bedrock of our donation programme. With the lion’s share of this year’s donation; £2,725,000 going to these much-loved nursing and healthcare charities.
“As the NHS and Social Care sectors struggle to deal with the scale of need, the sustained funding from the National Garden Scheme allows these charities to continue the provision of critical community nursing services, end of life care, and respite for families and carers across the UK.”
National Garden Scheme Chairman Rupert Tyler added: “We are hugely proud to have created parity among our main beneficiaries this year.** Especially as the nation’s health and social care system continues to battle with the long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and with deeply embedded systemic challenges. The contribution of the charities that we support has been increasingly vital, their reach and impact in cancer and end of life care, in community health and nursing and in particular areas such as people living with Parkinson’s, is immense and we are proud to be a major long-term supporter of them all.”
The National Garden Scheme relies primarily on the income generated by admission at its garden gates and through the sale of plants, teas and cake at these gardens. Additional income streams include donations, sponsorship and advertising, fundraising events, and commercial partnerships.
The National Garden Scheme is looking ahead to 2026 with optimism and the opening of over 3,300 gardens across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.
Chief Executive Dr Richard Claxton added: “Behind all this impact are the garden owners and volunteers whose enthusiasm and generosity of spirit makes garden visiting such a pleasure – and whose commitment makes our work possible. We are equally grateful to every visitor who, sometimes without realising it, helps improve so many lives.
“We will do our utmost to increase the support we are able to give to our beneficiary charities through 2026, and we are sure that anyone who reads the 2025 Impact Report that accompanies this donation news will see just how impactful a visit to one of our gardens can be.”