Julia Rausing Trust donates £1.5 million to National Garden Scheme

Julia Rausing Trust is pleased to announce a £1.5 million grant to the National Garden Scheme (NGS) for their Community Garden Grants programme. The National Garden Scheme is a charity that gives visitors unique access to over 3,500 exceptional private gardens in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, and raises money for nursing and health charities.

In 2011, the NGS set up the ‘Community Garden Grants’ programme, which forms part of NGS’s wider Gardens and Health Programme. The Community Garden Grants programme focuses on support for community groups to create or improve gardens for the benefit of local communities, many of which play an important health and social welfare role through providing community orchards, food banks and settings for local GP social prescribing.

The funding for the Community Garden Grants programme will aid the development of community garden projects with a purpose focussed on demonstrating the health benefits of gardens, and gardening, not only to health and wellbeing, but also to the environment and communities surrounding them.

Simon Fourmy, Director of the Trust, said: “The Julia Rausing Trust is pleased to announce a £1.5m grant to the National Garden Scheme, supporting its Community Garden Grants programme. This funding will not only aid multiple gardening projects across England, Wales and Northern Ireland but will also provide greater access to green spaces, and the health benefits of gardening, to the surrounding communities. These were important causes to Julia Rausing and this grant ensures her legacy and philanthropic vision continues.”

George Plumptre, Chief Executive of the National Garden Scheme, commented:“Everyone at the National Garden Scheme is absolutely thrilled to be receiving such a generous donation from the Julia Rausing Trust. The amazing level of support that it will give over a number of years will ensure that our Community Gardens programme flourishes and directly benefits a huge number and variety of people, their communities and their collective wellbeing. We know that gardens were very close to Julia Rausing’s heart, as were community-based projects, so this donation will ensure that a strong, and lasting legacy, grows from her quite remarkable philanthropic generosity.”

(Below: George Plumptre, CEO of the National Garden Scheme)