Societies & Associations
Founded in 1941, Crowborough Horticultural Society is a friendly, educational forum for all gardeners and allotment holders in Crowborough and the surrounding area. We hold monthly meetings with expert speakers, an Annual Open Show and group visits to places of gardening interest.
The Heather Society covers every aspect of this world, from the wild heathers of European heaths and moorlands to the rare and unusual splendours of South African or “Cape” heaths, from everyday cultivation, including choosing, growing and propagating hardy heathers, to scientific studies and nomenclature.
It now has members throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as elsewhere in Europe, and in Africa, the Americas, Australasia and the Far East. Members receive an informative yearbook, as well as three newsy Bulletins which contain a diary of events to keep members in touch with Society activities and new developments. It organizes regional groups, visits to heather gardens, an annual week-end gathering and the occasional field-trip, and provides free advice to members on heather-garden design or any problems they may have.
The Hebe Society promotes the cultivation and conservation of hebes and other New Zealand native plants. The Hebe Society was founded in 1985. It is affiliated to the Royal Horticultural Society, New Zealand Alpine Garden Society and Tatton Garden Society. Most members are in the British Isles, but some are in the rest of Europe, North America and New Zealand.
Although initially formed for those interested in hebes, the Society now supports the cultivation and conservation of all New Zealand plants.
The Royal Forestry Society has a diverse membership of 3,500+ members including woodland owners, professional foresters, arborists, countryside professionals, conservationists, lecturers, students and people with an active interest in learning about the care of woods and trees. Everybody is welcome. We do not represent the interests of any single group and so are a source of unbiased information for anyone caring for woodlands.
The work of the RFS is funded through donations, grants, legacies and corporate sponsorship, together with membership subscriptions.
East of England Apples and Orchards Project is working to ensure a future for local orchard fruits and orchards. There are around 250 local varieties of apple, pear, plum, and cherry that come from the seven counties of our region – Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. These varieties and their orchard habitat need to be preserved for their local significance, genetic diversity, as local food sources and for their landscape and wildlife value. There are also hundreds of ‘lost’ fruit varieties known only from written records. Maybe you can help us find them? There are many ways to help us. You could become a member; buy our fruit trees; sign up for a workshop; come to an Apple Day; buy local-grown fruit or help us survey orchards.
The Woodland Trust is country’s largest woodland conservation charity with over 500,000 members and supporters and more than 1,000 sites, covering over 26,000 hectares, all over the UK.
We’re standing up for woods and trees. We protect and campaign, plant trees, and restore ancient woodland for the benefit of wildlife and people.
To realise our vision, over the next 10 years, we will be strengthening the role of trees and woods in our landscapes and communities and rekindling our love of them.
Find out all about our strategy for the future, ‘Join us on the journey to 2025’ (PDF, 2.4MB)
Why trees need us
Just 13% of the UK is covered with trees. That’s low compared to the average European country that has 37%.
Since the 1930s, more than half the UK’s ancient woodland we had has been destroyed. This rich, complex habitat dates back to medieval times and once swept in vast swathes across our countryside; today it covers just 2% of the UK. And we stand to lose even more as airports, roads and railways expand, houses are built and diseases attack.
The effects are devastating: 60% of our animal and plant species have declined in the past 50 years. Many are now endangered; some face extinction.
Over the years, we’ve identified woods under threat and fought to save them, campaigning alongside local communities or raising funds to buy them ourselves. We’ve also acquired land ripe with potential and created beautiful new woodland close to people’s homes.
We now own more than 1,000 wildlife-rich native woods across the UK. Many are ancient woods and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
All are open and free to enjoy.
Eastling Gardeners Club is an horticultural society for the village of Eastling nr Faversham in Kent. The club usually meets four times a year including the New Year’s Party!
It invites a wide variety of experienced speakers, covering a suitable range of topics. The talks are followed by wine and homemade nibbles, at which members can exchange views. There is also a yearly outing. New members are welcome. The cost of annual membership is £6, which covers entrance to all the meetings. Non-members are £3 per meeting. The club meets in Eastling Village Hall on Thursdays, 7.30 p.m. start.
Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Society is the UK’s only charity dedicated to helping people who work in horticulture when times get tough. A charitable organisation helping disabled or retired gardeners for over 160 years. We provide free and confidential advice, support and financial assistance to people of all ages working in, or retired from horticulture.
Ewell Horticultural Association (EHA) has been supporting and serving the local community of Ewell and the surrounding areas since 1865, offering residents encouragement and companionship in the enjoyment of their gardens. EHA has over 1,300 members and is thought to be amongst the oldest and largest Horticultural Associations in England.
The Association offers an annual programme of talks and trips for members, as well as interested guests. We offer regular openings of the Potting Shed, behind Ewell Court House, on a Sunday morning for the purchase of horticultural goods at lower than retail prices as well as plant sales at the Shows and an annual sale of bedding plants for pre-order. Newsletters on our activities are sent to members 6 times per year.
Norfolk Organic Group is a membership organisation of about 200 gardeners, smallholders, farmers and others interested in organic food.
We are affiliated to and act as a local group for Garden Organic, the national charity for organic growing (formerly the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA), www.gardenorganic.org.uk) and the Soil Association,who campaign for planet-friendly food and farming (www.soilassociation.org).
Norfolk Organic Group aims to promote the organic movement in Norfolk by encouraging people to grow organically and to use resources sustainably, maintaining the link between people, food and the soil.