Every year, the Upminster & District Horticultural Society hold a lecture in support of a local charity and invite someone from the charity to talk about their project.  Those attending the talk pay £3 and this is topped up, when possible, by proceeds from our annual plant sale.   Take a look at what we have achieved over recent years.  In October 2024 we are inviting Gina Must and her colleagues to tell us about Havering Green Streets.

In 2023 a cheque for £471 was given to Bedfords Park Walled Garden, following an update on this space from Lois Amos.  Lois tells us that the money will be primarily spent on seeds to enable them to grown produce in 2024, which is then sold for the funding of the walled garden. Success was achieved this year when the garden came out top of 13 entries in the RHS London in Bloom Walled Garden category, beating some English Heritage gardens!   The garden currently has 23 volunteers who work intermittently in the garden throughout the year.   More information about the walled garden in the 2023/4 handbook

In 2022 our support was given to the Upminster Windmill Gardens.  Paul Sainsbury (Head Gardener) gave an interesting talk about the history and progress made to restore the windmill and develop the gardens and was given a cheque for £585.  He has more recently told us that some of our donation contributed towards a sensory garden, a wildlife pond, a three-ringed raised bed with water feature in the lawn, planting a monkey puzzle tree, buying some bulbs and plants for the new beds and improving the wildlife area and buying a new lawnmower.  These improvements helped the garden to achieve several RHS awards including Best Communal Garden in Havering in Bloom 2023.

In 2021 we supported the Secret Blind Garden in Harrow Lodge Park, Hornchurch. Shelley Hart, CEO of the Romford Volunteer Centre who oversee the garden, was delighted with our cheque for £243.50.  Shelley is hoping to buy another picnic bench, parasols, garden tools and storage.

In 2019 we supported the Pemberton Roses and Bentall roses at St Francis Hospice and also Jack's Place Charity with a donation of £532 divided between them.  Head of Major Gifts and Legacies at St Francis Hospice told us that they used our donation to upgrade the seating areas in the gardens. "In 2020 it was even more important for patients and guests to be able to meet up outside and enjoy the spectacular roses".

In 2018 our charity was NT Rainham Hall Gardens and we invited Jesse Lock (community gardener) to give a talk. Over the last three years he and his team of volunteers have been involved in developing the garden on a shoestring budget so he was delighted to be presented with a cheque for £420 which included proceeds from the May plant sale. They have used the money to purchase new plants for a long shady border along the lower lawn. These included heucheras, digitalis, japanese anemone and mahonia. The border looks much brighter and will improve over time.

In 2017 we raised £325 to contribute to the teaching of horticulture at Corbets Tey School  in Upminster.  We have provided plants for the school over recent years and will continue to maintain a link with them. The money has been used to buy specially adapted tools and equipment for their pupils. The special hand tools are lighter and stronger and suitable for children with poor hand mobility.

In 2016, £306 was raised for the newly opened Ingrebourne Valley  Visitor Centre of Essex Wildlife Trust.

2015 we raised £300 for the Wildlife Gardening Forum and in 2014, £100 for the Shaw Trust .