Charities Supported By David

Chartered Institute of Horticulture

The Chartered Institute of Horticulture is both an educational charity and the chartered body for horticulture. As a Chartered Fellow of the Institute, David was delighted to be asked to become an Ambassador at Large for the Institute in 2018. In this role, he champions horticulture as a worthwhile and rewarding profession for the youth of today.

The Worshipful Company of Gardeners

The Worshipful Company of Gardeners, first mentioned in City Corporation records in 1345, is a survivor from the medieval craft guilds which exercised control over the practice of their particular crafts and ensured a proper training through the system of apprenticeship.

The Company is a “living” guild and numbers among its members both professionals and amateurs who are actively involved in the craft. All are united by a common bond of horticulture and gardens.

David was delighted to be asked to be a Court Assistant to help promote horticulture as a way of bringing people together.

RSPB

Established in 1889, the RSPB is a UK charity that aims to protect the nation’s 408 species of birds. A long-time bird lover, David as the garden bird ambassador, promotes the RSPB’s many initiatives and advises home gardeners on how to care for birds in their own gardens. David appeared in a TV advert in support of the RSPB’s 40^th anniversary Big Garden Birdwatch 2019.

Thrive

Thrive is a charitable organisation that uses therapeutic horticulture to improve the lives of people with mental and physical disabilities and illnesses. A true believer in improving health through gardening, David supports Thrive’s many initiatives in his role as Ambassador of the charity. He has lots of fun with their annual Wear Your Wellies to Work Day, which seeks to raise awareness and finances in support of the charity’s provision of research-based green care.

British Hedgehog Preservation Society

Since 2000, rural areas have seen the population of British hedgehogs drop by 50%. The British Hedgehog Preservation Society seeks to reverse that trend and to protect hedgehogs for years to come. David joins forces with the BHPS by teaching the public how to help hedgehogs in their own gardens. A Patron of the charity David is an avid supporter of the yearly Hedgehog Awareness Week and delivers the message about the importance of protecting British hedgehogs in his forthcoming documentary for Channel 5, due to broadcast later this year.

The Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Exotic glasshouses, manicured beds, and beautiful landscaping abounds at the award-winning Birmingham Botanical Gardens. A registered charity, the gardens’ collection of 7,000 plants from around the world offer a unique educational experience for thousands of people every year. As someone who has been fascinated by plants all his life, David recently became a Patron of the charity, in support of their exceptional services in educating the next generation.

Greenfingers

Greenfingers is the national charity that supports children living with life-limiting conditions who spend time in hospices around the UK, along with their families, through the creation of  inspiring gardens for them to relax in and benefit from. David recently became a Patron of the charity.

War Widows’ Association of Great Britain

The War Widows’ Association is a group that exists to improve the conditions of War Widows and their dependants in Great Britain.

Its work encompasses those who have suffered bereavement as a result of World War II and all conflicts since then including Iraq and Afghanistan. The WWA also represents those who have suffered the loss of their partner and in peacetime, when the death was attributable to their service life.

Project Aware

Project Aware works with scuba divers across the world in the conservation of ocean environments. In 2018, David joined forces with the charity. As a PADI qualified scuba diver and conservation enthusiast David seeks to make the public aware of the incredible work that Project Aware do and of the importance of looking after our oceans.

SANE

Founded in 1986, SANE is a charitable organisation that seeks to improve the lives of people with mental illness. In his role as Gardening Champion of the charity, David helps to reduce the stigma attached to mental ill-health and raise awareness of the enormous, positive impact that gardening and nature can have on mental health.

London in Bloom

London in Bloom recognises and rewards people in the capital who are creating spectacular nature spaces for the general public to enjoy. A huge believer in the health and societal benefits of green environments in cities, David regularly hosts the prestigious London in Bloom awards ceremony and seeks to raise the profile of their initiatives in the UK’s largest city.

RHS

The Royal Horticultural Society are a registered charity that is devoted to enriching people’s lives with gardening. In support of the RHS, David uses his business nous to advise them as a member of their Commercial Board. A former head of global buying teams for some of the UK’s largest stores, David shares his expertise with the RHS so that they can make sound commercial decisions.

The Prince’s Foundation

Founded by HRH the Prince of Wales in 1986, The Prince’s Foundation is an educational charity that aims, in part, to support the teaching of traditional skills like horticulture and garden design. David is proud to join forces with The Prince’s Foundation every year on his Young Gardeners of the Year competition, which sees the best of upcoming British talent in landscaping and garden design going head to head to build an incredible array of show gardens.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission seek to make sure that all those who gave their lives in the two World Wars are remembered and honoured. Having heard his Grandfather’s war stories growing up, David holds the CWGC’s cause close to his heart. He joined forces with the CWGC’s Director of Horticulture, David Richardson, in the design of a silver medal winning Artisan Garden at Chelsea Flower Show in 2017, and in the creation of a short film to commemorate the centenary of the WWI armistice in 2018.