GIFFORD HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY EST. 1848 Registered Scottish Charity No SC006996
The Trustees present their report with the financial statements and the independent examiner’s report for the year from November 1[st] 2024 to 31[st] October 2025.
1. Charity Name Gifford Horticultural Society
2. Charity No. SC006996
3. Address
Rosemary Everett, 1 Slateford Steading, Gifford, East Lothian, EH41 4JB.
4. Trustees - Office Bearers
President Roger Wilson Secretary Rosemary Everett Treasurer Sandra Banks Membership Secretary Jackie Fry.
- Trustees - Management Committee Sandra Banks Jeanie Cole Rosemary Everett Jackie Fry Jill Hyslop Frank Kirwan Emma Martindale Katherine Porter Kathy Seth i Gordon Steele Elizabeth Stewart Jane Will Roger Wilson.
6. Trustees – elections and resignations
Beryl McNaughton, Sarah Curtis and Helen Lee resigned as Trustees at our AGM in November 2024. Jill Hyslop, Emma Martindale and Katherine Porter were elected as Trustees.
7. Structure and Governance
The Society is a charitable unincorporated association. It is governed by its constitution which was amended in September 2004.
8. Trustee appointment
All Trustees are elected or re-elected at the Annual General Meeting of members which is held in November each year. The management committee, chaired by the President, meets a minimum of five times a year to plan, organise and administer the affairs of the Society.
Sub-committees that report to the management committee are responsible for organising the educational programmes of talks and outings, the catering for events and the annual reviews of the Show Schedule.
9. Charitable Purposes
The objects of the Society are primarily to advance education in the practice and knowledge of gardening and horticulture for public benefit. However, the Society also endeavours to assist in working directly or via another body, to improve the environment and fabric of the village and its neighbourhood.
10. Activities and Achievements
Membership
At October 31[st] 2025, there were 197 members of the society and five Honorary Life members. Ian Currier was made an Honorary Life member at our AGM in November 2024 in recognition of his contribution as a former Vice President, Committee member and his assistance at the Flower Show and other events.
Our members live mainly in Gifford but also within a roughly 30-mile radius (Pencaitland, Garvald, Tranent, East Saltoun, Haddington, Musselburgh, Haddington and Aberlady). This confirms that we continue to be a society which encourages the enjoyment of plants and gardening for everyone in our local area.
Talks
As part of our educational objective, a programme of five talks was organized which were well attended by members.
Open Gardens
In June, we took part in Scotland’s Open Gardens scheme. Several village gardens were open alongside Broadwoodside and Gifford Bank. Our local Art Group offered teas in the Village Hall as their exhibition was on display that weekend. This was very successful.
Outings
We enjoyed an evening Wildlife Walk at Aberlady and Longniddry with Stan da Prato in June.
We arranged a trip to the Japanese Garden at Cowden and to Dowhill, Cleish, also in June.
In September, we organised a Foraging session in Gifford Community Woodlands.
Flower Show
We held our annual Show in August which attracted 730 entries from 53 children and young people and 110 adults. Visitor numbers held up and feedback remains very positive.
We received assistance from staff from Yester Estate to transport equipment, set up and take down the Show. We are discussing other ways to work more closely with the estate as part of our local networking and support aims.
The potato-growing competition attracted 59 entrants with the funds raised helping to meet the costs of the Flower Show.
The weekend ended with a community concert, bringing together talented performers from our area including from nearby Humbie village.
Plant Sales
We held our popular plant sale in May, once again proving a great success. We discontinued the plant delivery service that we had introduced during the pandemic, but we offered a wide variety of bedding plants for sale at the well-attended event instead (reverting to arrangements pre-2020).
Communications
Regular emails and hand-delivered updates were sent to all members during the year to keep them informed of talks, outings, events, activities and other news.
Our website www.giffordhorti.org continues to be well visited and gains positive responses and feedback. It is updated regularly with information on events (as our Facebook page is linked to it).
We arranged to have our archive of Minute Books digitized. They date back to the Society’s inception in 1848 (although 1873 – 1911 is missing). We have published them on our website and are investigating a local archive to hold the original copies so that they are preserved for the future.
As well as our Facebook page, we have a Facebook group which is open to members as a place to ask questions, swap plants or share photos. There are currently 46 members of the group.
Community engagement
We took part in the annual Inter Horticultural Societies quiz event in April.
Gifford Playgroup had a cake stall at our Plant Sale in May to raise funds.
We supported Dirleton Primary school with their sweet pea growing competition. Two of our committee members attended an event in June to judge the entries.
We supported our local Church at their annual social event in June by running a plant stall (proceeds were donated to the Church).
Gifford Village Hall and Gifford Playgroup helped make the Flower Show an attraction to visitors by providing teas which raised funds towards their aims. Gifford Community Woodlands and our local Beekeepers provided stalls in the Marquee to raise awareness of their activities. Donations were invited at the Community Concert which were passed to Gifford Village Hall. Taken together, we enabled local organisations to benefit by over £2,000 during the Flower Show weekend.
We again supported Macmerry Mens’ Shed by offering them space at the Flower Show to sell items that they make.
We lent some of our flower vases to neighbouring Stenton Horticultural Society for their village show in August.
We made a donation to Amisfield Walled Garden in Haddington for the purchase of equipment for volunteers and trainees to use.
These activities help to meet our objective of assisting in the improvement of the village and neighbourhood.
Other information
The Society is a member of the Scottish Gardeners’ Forum and an affiliated member of the Royal Horticultural Society.
11. Trustees Remuneration
No Trustee received any remuneration during the year.
- Financial review for the year ending October 31[st] 2025 [last year’s figures in brackets]
The accounts show a surplus of £2,695.06 [£574.26] on the Society’s total income of £10,794.94 [£9,784.57] for the financial year ending on October 31[st] 2025.
With the current level of reserve funds of £10,127.09 [£9,952.13] in a Virgin Charity Account plus a year-end bank balance of £20,432.47 [£17,471.41], the Trustees consider that the Society is well placed to continue its charitable purposes in the coming 12 months subject to close monitoring of the impact of any significant changes that might arise.
We received sponsorship of £650 from the Yester Estate, £500 from Rettie & Co. and £100 from The Chippendale School of Furniture towards the costs of the Flower Show.
Approved by the Trustees on May 20[th] 2026 and signed on their behalf by
Independent Examiner's Report For the Year Ended 31 October 2025 To the Trustees of Gifford Horticultural Society Registered Scottish Charity Number SC006996 I rew)rt on the receipts and payments accounts of the above charity for the year ended 31 October 2025, which are set out on the attached page. Respective responsibilities of Trustees aDd Examiner The charity S trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the tenns of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act ?005 {'Ihe ?005 Act") and the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (&8 amended) ('*be 2006 Regulations"). The harity's lnee5 consider that the audit requirement of Regulation l O(l) (d) of the Accounts Regulations does not apply. It is my responsibility to examine the accounts as requtred under section (44MI ) (c) of the 2(K)5 Act and to state whether particular matters have come to my attention. Basis of Independent mIner'S Statement My examination is carried out in accordance with Regulation I l of the ?006 Regulations. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unsUal ilems 01 disclosures in the accounts and seeks explanations from the tnLStees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide aIl the evidence that wouId be required in an audit an consequently, I do not express an audit opinion on the accounts. Independent ExAmiDer's Statement In tbe course of my examination, no matter has come to my attention: which gives me reasonable cause to believe thaL in any material respecL the requirements to keep accounting records in accordance with section 44(1)(a) of the ?005 Act and Regulation 4 of the ?006 Regulations, and to prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with Regulation 9 of the 2006 Regulations have not been meL or 2. to Whic in my Opinio attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to b¢ reached. Miehael Hinton CA Speedyburn House, Station RoaiL Giffor EH414QL I P November 2025
GIFFORD HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY Reg. Scottish Charily No. SCOOS996 ACCOUNTS TO 31 OCTOBER 2025 INCOME Membership Plant Sales Flower Show Income Outings Scotland'5 Gardens Donations Tattie Competition Raffle Other 2025 £2.020.00 £1.899 85 £2.711.88 £1.058 89 £2.708.32 £71.00 £295.00 2024 £1,970.00 £3,097.85 £2,592.52 £1,545 00 EXPENDITURE Officers, Expenses Plant Sales Costs Flower Show Expenses Outing8 Hire ol Hall Meeting Expenses Memberships Public Liability & Trophies Insurance Charitable Donations Vvebsite AudiollT System8 Archiving Garage Repairs Miscellaneou5 Total Expendlturfr 202S £213.49 £463 02 £2,921.58 £1.359 00 £331 50 £150.00 £107.00 £190.00 £675 00 £130.80 £246 12 £652.50 £360.00 £29 87 £7,829.88 2024 £45.00 £1,587 87 £3,986.64 £2,041.52 £575 00 £132.70 £45 00 £155.00 £62 20 £320.00 t177.00 £20.00 £30.00 £160.06 £455.06 £28.46 £9,210.31 Total Income L•8s Expèndlturo Surplus Virgin Account Interest Net Income £10.794.94 t7,829.88 £2.965.06 £17496 £3.140.02 £9,784.57 £9.210.31 £574.26 60.59 £634.8S Openlng Reserves Bank ol Scotland balance Cash Float Virgin Charity Deposit Account Ygar End Rosorvès Bank of Scotland balance Cash Float £17.471.41 £7.00 £20,432.47 £11.00 £10,127.09 £30,570.56 £9,952.13 £27,430.54 Virgin Charity Deposit Account Total Fund8 enl Treasurer Independent Examiner I*_ 11-ILi L)