Sir Roderick Newton - Chairman
Roderick has been collecting old-fashioned daffodils, pelargoniums and Cymbidium orchids for 50 years, and has a National Collection of pre-1950 bearded irises.
Claire Farrer (vice chair)
Claire, a former GP, is part of the shared National Collection of Noel Burr’s daffodils held by the Sussex Plant Heritage group. She recently completed an MSc in Biodiversity and Conservation at Kew and Queen Mary University.
Sally Flatman
Sally's an experienced radio producer, with 30 years experience at the BBC, and produces and presents her podcast 'Our Plant Stories'. She chairs our communications working group.
John Humphreys
John's background is agricultural industry and he's an active member of our Yorkshire group. His lifelong passion for gardening was influenced by a relative who was head gardener at Cefn Park, Wrexham.
Jasmine Jahromi
Jasmine brings 15 years experience in the humanitarian sector, including sustainable agriculture initiatives to improve nutrition and wellbeing. She nurtures her own garden in London.
Jacob James
Jacob James is the founder and CEO of GrowTropicals, the UK's largest rare and unusual houseplant based in Yorkshire. Jacob is also a member of the RHS Tender Ornamental Expert Group and Treasurer for the European Aroid Society.
Kavita Kapoor
Kavita's a multi-award-winning technologist, passionate about education and emerging technology. She grows a wide range of edible plants in her spare time.
David Mathers (vice chair)
David has 35 years’ experience in banking and finance and is vice chair of the RHS Orchid Expert Group. He's co-founder of The Mathers Foundation which has 5 National Collections and won the 2024 Brickell Award for its conservation work.
Gareth Morgan
Gareth has 20 years experience in senior finance roles in the charity sector, as well as IT, HR, risk, legal and governance. He's developing a crazy hillside garden making it as wildlife friendly as possible.
Professor Nicola Spence CBE
Nicola is a botanist, plant pathologist and an expert in plant health and international plant trade. She has been the UK Chief Plant Health Officer at Defra. Prior to this she researched virus diseases of horticultural crops for over 20 years.
Della Weight
Della's got over 30 years experience in fundraising and strategic planning with charities worldwide, and loves gardening.
Philip Wilson (treasurer)
Philip's a chartered accountant, ran his own business and worked as finance/operations director for an international charity. A keen plantsman and fellow of the Linnean Society, he volunteered at botanic gardens and studied conservation and ecology.
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