A stone pavilion building with many windows sits behind some trees. It is Autumn and some of the leaves from the trees are on the ground.

Make a Donation or leave a Legacy

Donations and legacies to the Sheffield Botanical Gardens Trust (a registered charity) are of enormous importance. They enable the Trust to keep the gardens and its buildings in the finest state and to support new initiatives.

If you have any complaints or suggestions about fundraising, please contact: Stephen Allen, Allen, West and Foster Ltd, Omega Court, 364-366 Cemetery Road, Sheffield S11 8FT.

If you wish to support the work of the Sheffield Botanical Gardens Trust, there are several ways to make a donation.

  • A stone pavilion building with many windows sits behind some trees. It is Autumn and some of the leaves from the trees are on the ground.

    Giving by standing order

    Please consider becoming a regular supporter of the Trust by setting up a standing order. If you are a UK taxpayer, you can also Gift Aid your donation.

    Give by standing order
  • A fountain with trees in the background and blue sky.

    Cash or contactless giving

    If you are visiting the Gardens, you can make a cash donation in the milk churn in the Pavilions, throw some coins into the fountain (and make a wish!), or make a contactless gift either at the donation station in the Pavilions or at the Information Point next to the public conveniences by the Education Centre. If you are a UK tax payer, you can Gift Aid your donation.

    Plan your visit

  • By cheque

    We also accept donations by cheque. As a charity, the Trust can take advantage of Gift Aid thus increasing the value of any donation from a UK tax payer by 25% at no extra cost to the donor. A Gift Aid form can be downloaded and included with your cheque.

    Give by Cheque

  • Through a legacy

    The Trust is a Registered Charity (No. 1162566) so any legacies left to the Trust are given in their entirety and are not subject to inheritance tax. Three generous legacies from Dorothy Fox, Barbara Holland and Mildred Rushby enabled the Education Centre to be built.

    Find out more

  • Sponsor a tree

    Every year 8 to 10 new saplings are planted in the Gardens. There is an annual programme of planting new trees each year, usually in the Spring.

    Sponsor a Tree

  • Sponsor as a company

    There are three levels of annual company sponsorship. Sponsors are recognised with a regularly appearing advertisement on the electronic Information Point by the Dorothy Fox Education Centre. This enables visitors to the Gardens to be made aware of your company’s generous support.

    Sponsor as a Company

Projects

Over the last 25 years over £7 million has been raised and a whole range of projects has been made possible because of gifts. Here are some examples of current and recent projects which have been made possible due to the generosity of our supporters.

  • Pavilion restoration

    Fundraising & refurbishment complete

    We were actively fundraising to make the project a reality in 2022/23. The Grade II* listed curvilinear glass pavilions are one of the city’s most iconic buildings. Twenty years after the major restoration, the wooden fabric of the pavilions required significant renovation due to the effects of the weather. Many window frames were showing signs of decay, one of the listed sliding doors required complete replacement, and the entire building needed to be re-painted (both internally and externally). The project cost nearly £60,000 and now looks magnificent.

  • Benches

    Ongoing

    There are over 120 benches around the garden and many of these were sponsored by supporters during the 1990s renovation of the gardens. In order to keep the benches in very good condition, we work with the Council on a rolling programme of maintenance. Each year we renovate 16 benches at a cost of £5,000.

  • Gates and railings

    2021

    In 2021, these were all rubbed down and repainted (in heritage green and gold) to ensure that the whole site looks great from the outside. This project cost nearly £20,000 and took place over several months. The maintenance of the fabric of the Botanical Gardens (our listed buildings, railings and entrances) compliments the natural beauty of the plants and trees.

  • Compost bays

    2019

    19 acres of gardens requires composting on an industrial scale. In 2019 we created four huge composting bays at a cost of £16,000 with generous grants from the Sheffield Town Trust and the Cutlers’ Company. The bays enable all soft green waste, such as grass cuttings, weeds, and leaves to be composted. They now provide the gardeners with a regular supply of quality compost.

  • The Dorothy Fox Education Centre

    2017

    The Dorothy Fox Education Centre was completed and formally opened in March 2017 by the Duke of Devonshire. This wonderful new facility was funded by legacies, donations and regular fundraising events. The centre has a library, three classroom areas and an office for education staff. Nearby, a new toilet block was constructed.

 Other ways to support us

Join the Friends

The Friends of the Botanical Gardens Sheffield (FOBS) provide lectures, offer tours and run plant sales in order to raise funds for planting in the Gardens.

Volunteer

Come and help us keep the Botanical Gardens looking beautiful.

Donor Honour Roll

The Sheffield Botanical Gardens Trust is enormously grateful to the individuals and organisations who have made donations and left bequests to support the gardens. This Donor Honour Roll records our gratitude.

  • Without their early commitment and substantial generosity, the sums required for the restoration of the Gardens would not have been achievable.

    • Matched funding: The Heritage Lottery Restoration Grant

    • The Friends of the Botanical Gardens, Sheffield (FOBS)

    • Sheffield Botanical Gardens Trust

    • The Freshgate Trust Foundation

    • The Garfield Weston Foundation

    • The J G Graves Charitable Trust

    • Parkwood Group/Enventure Ltd

    • R M C Environment Fund

    • The Sheffield Church Burgesses Trust

    • The Sheffield Town Trust

    • The Wolfson Foundation

  • Legacies to the Sheffield Botanical Gardens Trust are of enormous importance, enabling the Trust to keep the Gardens in the finest state and to support new initiatives. We wish to record our gratitude to the following individuals who remembered the Trust in their wills:

    • J de Bartolome

    • Dr Burns

    • Eileen Brightmore

    • Joan Chibnall

    • Avril Critchley

    • Francis L Eastwood

    • Dorothy Fox

    • Audrey Graham

    • Stanley Greaves

    • Herbert A Harrison

    • Barbara Holland

    • Christopher King

    • Anne Elizabeth Maguire

    • Graham Murray

    • Patricia Parker

    • Sheena Ritchie

    • Audrey Roberts

    • Mildred Rushby

    • Eileen M Ryan

    • Irene Sugden

    • Dr Jill Thompson

    Please consider remembering the Sheffield Botanical Gardens Trust in your will.

    • The Annals of Botany

    • Arnold Laver & Co Ltd

    • Art in the Gardens

    • Assay Office (Sheffield)

    • Aviva Plc

    • Barber Harrison & Platt

    • Barclays Bank Plc

    • Barfil Charitable Trust

    • Benson Clegg

    • The Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths Charitable Trust

    • H L Brown & Son Ltd

    • Henry Boot Plc

    • Botanical Catering Ltd

    • Bury & Walkers

    • Caledonian Society of Sheffield

    • The H and L Cantor Trust

    • Charnwood House Ltd

    • Coke Trust

    • The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire

    • Corus Plc

    • The 10th Duke of Devonshire's Charitable Trust

    • The Earl Fitzwilliam Charitable Trust

    • Evergreen Disabled Gardening Club

    • Graham & Susan Murray Charitable Trust

    • Stanley Greaves Trust

    • Groundwork UK

    • The Hamamelis Trust

    • Hopkins Boden

    • HSBC Bank Plc

    • The Idlewild Trust

    • John Lewis Partnership Sheffield

    • The John Spedan Lewis Foundation

    • Lloyds TSB Foundation for England & Wales

    • Music in the Gardens

    • The James Neill Trust Fund

    • The Normanby Charitable Trust

    • Sir John Osborne Charity Trust

    • The Palaeontological Association

    • Pricewaterhouse Coopers

    • The Ronald and Kathleen Pryor Charity

    • Rotary Club of Sheffield Charitable Trust Fund

    • The Royal Horticulture Society

    • St. Mark's Parochial Church Council

    • The Scotts Company

    • Sheffield Floral Club

    • The South Yorkshire Forest Environment Trust Ltd

    • Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust

    • Wake Smith

    • The Prince of Wales Charitable Foundation

    • Hyman Winstone Foundation

    • The Diana and Gerard Young Trust

    We are enormously grateful to the numerous organisations, businesses and trusts that also made donations although, as with individuals, they are too numerous to list here. The Heritage Lottery Fund had not experienced matched funding from the public on this scale for any similar project. This is a testament to the fundraising effort by so many people, and the public's generosity for this important restoration project.

  • Many specific areas of the Botanical Gardens were restored through donations for particular purposes. We wish to express our gratitude for these specific gifts.

    • The Gatehouse, The Sheffield Town Trust

    • The Pavilions:

      • The Wolfson Foundation

      • R M C Fund

      • The Idlewild Trust

    • Pavilion Clock, H L Brown & Son Ltd

    • Fountain, Sheffield Assay Office

    • Pan Statue, Wake Smith

    • Turnstile Gate, The Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths

    • Wrought Iron Fence, Corus Plc

    • South Lodge, The South Yorkshire Forest Environment Trust Ltd

    • Pavilion Planting, The H and L Cantor Trust

    • Garden Signage, The John Spedan Lewis Foundation

    • Landscape & Planting:

      • Gatehouse areas, John Lewis Partners, Sheffield

      • Evolution Garden, The Palaeontological Association

      • Marnock Garden, Stanley Smith (UK) Horticultural Trust

      • Award of Garden Merit Garden, The Royal Horticultural Society

      • Birch Hill, Charnwood House Ltd

      • Mediterranean Climate Garden, Anonymous bequest

      • Prairie Garden & Woodland Garden, Department of Landscape, The University of Sheffield