Volunteers’ Celebration Evening 2025

Around 60 people attended a very successful Volunteers’ Celebration Evening on Sunday 19 October, held as a thank you to the many members who support the Society throughout the year. Without the help of our volunteers, who contribute in so many different ways, the Society simply would not be able to operate.
As part of the evening, two talented cooks from the committee, Kate Rothwell and Rob Turner, donned their chef’s hats and prepared a delicious feast, featuring home-grown squash and vegetable pasta, along with a special vegetarian curry and a full range of accompaniments. The meal was followed by over 100 meringues, made by Jane Kidd — an amazing effort that was much appreciated.
The evening included a range of activities to keep guests entertained. It began with a lively mingling game, where members had fun finding others from their horticultural groups, before sitting down at their tables for further activities. Committee members served the food, allowing everyone to relax and make the most of the occasion.
The evening concluded with a slideshow celebrating the many ways volunteers contribute to the Society, followed by warm words of thanks from Colin, our Chair, who expressed his appreciation to everyone who has helped throughout the year.

Invitees
Invitations were extended to members who regularly support the Society’s day-to-day activities, including:

• members who regularly bake cakes for talks
• marquee volunteers
• hut volunteers
• members who open their gardens
• those who regularly help with refreshments
• trip and holiday organisers
• plant stall helpers

Please note: Emsworth Show volunteers are organised separately and do not fall within the regular day-to-day volunteer roles listed above; they are a large and highly-valued group whose focus is running the Show.

The committee received some lovely feedback from members thanking us for the evening. It was great to hear how much the evening was valued, and that they found it warm, sociable and fun.
If you would like to get involved and help support the Society in the future, we would be delighted to hear from you — there are many ways to volunteer, and every contribution makes a difference.

Complete the form on our Volunteers page to find out more about Volunteering.