FOBS 40th Anniversary Gala

The Friends of the Botanical Gardens Sheffield celebrated their 40th anniversary last Sunday 4th August! The gala also marked the final celebration for the end of the National Lottery Heritage Funded Education and Engagement Project at the Gardens. You can find more coverage about the end of the Project here.

The festivities were opened with speeches from The Lord Mayor of Sheffield Cllr Jayne Dunn, the Deputy Lieutenant of South Yorkshire Dr Julie Macdonald, Miles Stevenson Chair of Sheffield Botanical Gardens Trust and Sue Kohler founding member of FOBS and long serving President. Other attendees included Sheffield’s Master Cutler and the High Sheriff of South Yorkshire.

(From left to right: Dr Laura Alston Education and Engagement Co-Ordinator, Ian Turner Curator of the Gardens, John Baddeley High Sheriff of South Yorkshire, The Lord Mayor Cllr Jayne Dunn, Carolyn Clarke Chair of FOBS, Charles Turner DL Master Cutler, Sue Kohler President of FOBS, The Deputy Lieutenant for South Yorkshire Dr Julie Macdonald, Miles Stevenson Chair of Sheffield Botanical Gardens Trust)

The Gala was a fantastic success, with over 1,000 people enjoying the festivities. Although attendees brought their own picnics, home-made cakes and tea were available for sale and trails and tours of the gardens were provided whilst Deepcar Brass Band played. Families had the chance to enjoy a bear hunt, leaf identification activities and Community Forestry put on a game of giant Jenga for kids. 

There were a number of stalls selling our plants and merchandise, books from Rhyme and Reason, prints from Jam Artworks and we hosted a special Pocket Pollen Inner City Flower Market.

Attendees also took in an exhibition celebrating the Gardens’ creator Robert Marnock’s life and work, accompanied by original editions of Marnock’s Floricultural Magazine.

It was a wonderful celebration of 40 years of the Friends of the Gardens and we’re so pleased everyone enjoyed themselves!