The Friends provide vital support to the Garden and Arboretum and also offer a wide range of benefits and opportunities.

Benefits

All Friends enjoy

• Free entry to the Garden and Arboretum

• Free entry to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew & Wakehurst Place; Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh; National Botanic Garden of Wales; Birmingham Botanical Gardens; and the University of Liverpool's Ness Botanic Garden

• A newsletter published three times a year

• A programme of exclusive garden visits, tours and special events

• Priority booking for the Garden’s Public Education Programme

• Monthly coffee mornings and tours led by members of the Garden staff

• Annual seed collection

• A 10% discount at the Botanic Garden and Arboretum shops

• A regular electronic bulletin

The Bobarts Group

This level of membership is an opportunity to provide extra support to the Garden. Extra benefits include small group visits to gardens and collections.

Support provided

Proposed Friends’ support 2010/11

Contributions to several major projects including:

• Redevelopment of the Arboretum car park

• Improved external and internal signage at the Arboretum

• Composting demonstrator at the Garden

Friends' support 2009/10

• Culvert and path repairs at the Arboretum

• Compost bins at the Arboretum

• Tree safety management software

• Schools education programme

• Garden publicity

• New mowers

Friends' support 2008/09

• Repair of culverts at the Arboretum

• Plants for Mediterranean and New Zealand borders at the Garden

• Secondary schools education programme

• Salary of a trainee

• Plant labelling

• Photographic equipment

Friends' support has previously included

• Permanent endowment of an education officer post

• An all weather path around the Arboretum

• Conversion of the Arboretum lodge into a reception and education centre

• A tractor and trailer

• Urns and seats around the Garden fountain pool

• Landscaping around the Arboretum lodge