Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland Annual Report and Financial

Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland Annual report and financial statements Year ended 31st December 2014 Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland Contents ______________________________________________________ Page Trustees and administrative information 2 Committees and Functions 3 President’s Introduction and Review of 2014 4 Trustees’ Report 6 Financial Review by the Treasurer 11 Statement of Trustees’ Responsibilities 14 Statement of Financial Activities 15 Balance Sheet 16 Notes to the Financial Statements 17 Independent Examiners’ Report 21 Biographies of Council members 22 Affiliated Societies 24 Partner Gardens 25 Page 1 Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland Trustees and administrative information _______________________________________________________ Patron Mrs Helen Dillon Trustees Mr Robert Myerscough President Mrs Deirdre Ryan Chairman of Council Mr Brooke Johns FCA Honorary Treasurer Appointed 16 July 2014 Mr Bruce Sleeman Secretary Appointed 22 January 2015 Ms Koraley Northen Non-executive Mrs Brenda Branigan Non-executive Co-opted 16 July 2014 Mrs Jean van der Lee Non-executive Mr Ignatius O’Brien Non-executive Mr John Quin Non-executive Mrs Valerie Little Non-executive Mrs Ruth Findlater Non-executive Co-opted November 2013 Principal office Laurelmere Cottage, Marlay Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 RHSI Garden Russborough Russborough House, Blessington, Co Wicklow Bankers Ulster Bank plc Blessington, Co Wicklow Allied Irish Banks plc Bankcentre, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 Legal advisers O’Connell Brennan Armitage House, 10 Lower Hatch Street, Dublin 2 Auditors PGL, Chartered Accountants Orchard House, Clonskeagh Square, Dublin 14 Charities Regulatory Authority Number 20005986 Page 2 Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland Committees and Functions ________________________________________________________ Finance & Governance Committee Bi-centenary committee Mr Robert Myerscough Mrs Brenda Branigan Chair Mr Brooke Johns Mrs Shirley Cullen Mr John Quin Mrs Margaret Hill Mrs Deirdre Ryan Mrs Susan Loughnane Mrs Heather Lovegrove Mrs Jean van der Lee Communications Committee Mrs Peggy Masterson Chair Mrs Mary Hackett House Committee Mrs Natalie McGettigan Mrs Muriel Fitzpatrick Chair Mrs Ena Ronayne Mrs Noreen Curran Mr Robert Myerscough Mrs Deirdre Ryan Garden Committee Affiliated Societies Administrator Mrs Denise Gill Chair Mr Philip Holwey Mr Bruce Sleeman Mr David Howell Mrs Mary Lee Lectures Scheme Organiser Mrs May Maguire Mr John Quin Mrs Emily O’Kane Mrs Cherry Sleeman Mrs Daphne Whelan Librarian Mrs Natalie McGettigan Events Committee Partner Gardens’ Co-ordinator Mr Peter Harrison Chair Mrs Brenda Branigan Mrs Frances MacDonald Mrs Valerie Little Mrs Yvonne McCann Social Media Mr Ignatius O’Brien Mrs Mary Ronayne Mrs Ena Ronayne The Journal Editor Floral Arts Committee Ms Helen Rock Mrs Marie O’Leary Chair Mrs Marie Dodrill The Journal Production Editor Mrs Teresa Henry Mrs Sheila Hurley Ms Koraley Northen Mrs Angela Kelly Mrs Marie Laird Webmaster Mrs Eileen McKenna. Ms Mary Hackett Mrs Karen Robinson Page 3 Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland President’s Introduction and Review of 2014 ________________________________________________________ In introducing this review of 2014 I need hardly draw your attention to the fact that this report is fuller than anything you will have received in past years. The reasons for this are various, but principally because the Charities Regulatory Authority, which began operating in October 2014, requires transparency in our financial affairs, as well as changes in the way in which RHSI, as a registered charity, is governed; accordingly, we have decided to adopt best practice in this respect. I should like to draw your attention to the Treasurer’s Report, which provides a very full picture of where we stand. As the Society sought to expand its role, in promoting horticulture in all its aspects for public benefit, initially through the RHSI Garden Russborough project, it became increasingly obvious to Council that we needed more financial controls and reporting, and that it would be essential to recruit a qualified accountant as Honorary Treasurer. We were very fortunate that Brooke Johns agreed to take on this role. Brooke’s experience, not only in the wider aspects of management, but specifically in the horticultural industry and through working with charities, has proven to be invaluable. Council decided to appoint a finance and governance committee, to review the way in which the society was run, and to manage our financial affairs more effectively. This committee has had a considerable workload over the past six months or more, but the procedures which have been initiated have helped us to start the process of changing from a society mainly focused on membership benefits to an organisation devoted to sharing its members’ love and knowledge of gardening with a wider public. As part of this reorganisation, your Council decided it would be in the best interests of members to change our legal status, from a society governed by a constitution with its roots in the 19th century, to a company limited by guarantee, subject to the approval of members at an Extraordinary General Meeting, to be held immediately after the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting. Further details of this proposal are set out in the Trustees’ Report. There has been a tremendous surge of interest in gardening in recent years, particularly from younger people, but it is disappointing to have to admit that your society failed to capture this potential. Much of the work of the finance and governance committee has been devoted to formulating a business strategy, recognising the society’s strengths and weaknesses, and creating a Road Map on which to build our vision for the future. It had become increasingly clear that insufficient attention had been given to generating income, without which it is not possible for the society to carry out its objective of taking a leading role in promoting horticulture throughout Ireland for public benefit. One of the main purposes of a charity is to raise funds to carry out its work, and we have been extremely fortunate to have received a number of very generous donations and sponsorships in the past year. I have mentioned the RHSI Garden Russborough; currently this is our principal charitable work, through the involvement of our expert members in providing leadership and instruction in a wide range of gardening skills, both to our volunteer gardening team and to a wider public, through specialised courses and demonstrations. The garden continues to be renovated, and through the generous sponsorship of The Natural Remedy Company, based in Blessington, the planting of hornbeam hedges for the four quarters of the southern half of the garden was completed. Sponsors for the individual gardens in this newly-created area are now being sought. Page 4 Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland President’s Introduction and Review of 2014 ________________________________________________________ With the move to Laurelmere Cottage an opportunity was created to provide a learning centre for gardeners, both novice and experienced. The delayed hand-over of the premises meant that these courses could not commence in the autumn of 2014 as planned, but early this year The Garden School at RHSI was established, under the management of Ciarán Burke, running RHS courses, and a New Beginnings outreach programme. The newly formed House Committee is charged with extending the use our facilities. Part of our strategy to reach a wider and younger audience has been to engage in the internet through the social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, both of which attract a growing audience. In the early part of 2014 a much needed revamp of our website was undertaken, facilitated through the very generous sponsorship of one of our members. Further development of the website is ongoing, with the assistance of our webmaster and the communications team. For some time it had been accepted that the RHSI had become too Dublin focused. One of the steps taken to remedy this has been the creation of the RHSI Partner Gardens scheme, which now comprises some 23 gardens throughout the island of Ireland, as listed on page 25 of this report. We are grateful for the generous participation of their owners in making this possible. The scheme enables members to introduce their friends to some wonderful gardens, and to further their knowledge of gardening. Further initiatives to reach the grass roots in horticulture are under consideration, to roll out as soon as our resources permit. Council has a broad vision for the future. The RHSI can regain its pre-eminent position in horticulture throughout the island of Ireland. Our reorganisation opens up great opportunities for developing our role, but much greater financial resources are needed. Above all, we need to rapidly increase our membership numbers, and with that to spread the love and knowledge of gardening to a wider community. It has been a long journey from 1816, in the Georgian era, to the twenty-first century, covering some of the most turbulent times in the history of our beautiful island. Our Society has continued to exist over these two centuries through the dedication and voluntary effort of generations of gardeners. Our present council and committee members are no exception; we owe them a huge debt of gratitude for the excellence of all that they make available to us, and to the wider public. It is a great privilege to be your President in our two-hundredth

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