Areas of work that you can support
The depth and diversity of Kew’s work mean that there are many areas where you can focus your gift. You can help us maintain the beautiful gardens at Kew and Wakehurst, support the work of the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership, train tomorrow’s conservationists or you can fund research into medicinal plants.
The historic Temperate House and the Treetop Walkway at Kew Gardens.
Contact us
Please phone the Legacies Department on 020 8332 3249 or email legacies@kew.org if you have any questions or would like further information.
Supporting a specific area of our work
Many people choose to support Kew’s work as a whole so that Kew can use their gift where it is needed most at the time. However, if you have an interest in a specific area of Kew’s work which you would like to support, we suggest the following wording.
Suggested wording for your Will: “I give to the Foundation and Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AB (Registered Charity Number 803428) (state the % residue or sum of money you wish to give) and request without obligation that it be used by the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in:
- The Gardens at Kew
- The Gardens at Wakehurst
- Conservation
- The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
- Research
- Education
- The Herbarium / Library / Botanical Art / Economic Botany collections
The Gardens at Kew or Wakehurst
The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and Wakehurst attract visitors from all over the world. Visitors come to enjoy the great variety of plant life in our unique gardens, and to broaden their knowledge of our planet's natural life.
The Gardens at Kew are not only a major draw for visitors, they are also a living library of plants from around the globe and used extensively by researchers and scientists worldwide.
Global conservation work
Together, Kew Gardens and Wakehurst are home to more than 30,000 different species of plants - many of which are endangered. We strive to enable people to see rare and beautiful plants in their natural environment, and Kew’s conservationists work to ensure that plant species around the world will survive beyond our lifetimes - to be enjoyed and valued by future generations.
This work is important and increasingly urgent as we now know that one in five plant species are threatened with extinction. Our science teams are currently working across more than 300 projects to help safeguard plants and habitats at risk for our future.
The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
Situated at Wakehurst, Kew's Millennium Seed Bank is the most ambitious international conservation project ever, and collects and conserves plant species which are endangered, endemic or economically important.
The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership started its second phase in 2010, and by the end of this phase, in 2020, it aims to conserve 25% of the world’s wild plant species. During this phase, the project will not only focus on the collection of plant species, but also on the sustainable use of plants by humans. Part of this work involves helping people who live in some of the world’s most fragile, vulnerable and inhospitable environments, to create a sustainable future for the benefit of us all.
Education and learning
Our vibrant learning environment plays a fundamental role in keeping Kew’s expertise alive and relevant for future generations. It also provides training for people who are committed to helping to protect the natural world.
We do this through the Kew Diploma in Horticulture, and through working in developing or remote regions where biodiversity is under threat. As well as formal higher education Kew also seeks to inspire young minds with a love of the natural world.
Scientific research
Kew’s work in understanding and classifying the world’s plant life already spans three centuries. Today, Kew is a world leader in all aspects of plant research, from plant taxonomy to genetics. We continue to make discoveries that will have an impact into the 22nd century and beyond. For example, current ground-breaking work in Kew's Jodrell Laboratory includes our efforts to unlock the long-held secrets of medicinal plants.
Kew’s Collections – in the Herbarium, Library Art & Archives (HLAA), and the Economic Botany Collection
Kew’s Herbarium dates back to 1853 and is home to over eight million preserved plant and fungal specimens, providing an indispensable resource for scientists and botanists worldwide.
Kew's HLAA also houses the world’s largest collection of botanical books, paintings and illustrations. Our aim is not merely to preserve these items, we also seek to make our unique heritage collections available to today’s researchers, helping them in their quest to better understand the plant kingdom.
Contact us
Please phone the Legacies Department on 020 8332 3249 or email legacies@kew.org if you have any questions or would like further information.
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How you are helping
Kew is taking part in the 'Big Give Christmas Challenge'
09 Nov 2012
This year, Kew is taking part in the 'Big Give Christmas Challenge', a campaign to encourage philanthropic giving by matching a donors’ gift. Effectively your donation to the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership could be doubled! We need to raise £50,000 for next year’s seed collecting trips, as well as expanding our work on using existing collections. Please note: This campaign ran from 6 to 19 December 2012 and has now finished.
Your donations can help Kew inspire visitors through our Gardens
21 Aug 2012
A recent donation from a Kew supporter will give more of our visitors the chance to explore our beautiful Gardens.
Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank Partnership ‘top banana’ as it celebrates banking 10% of the world’s wild plant species.
15 Oct 2009
Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank Partnership is celebrating collecting, banking and conserving 10% of the world’s wild plant species by banking its 24,200th plant species.
Patrons tour of the Palm House
27 Jul 2012
A group of Kew Patrons enjoyed a revealing tour of Kew's most iconic glasshouse. Palm House Manager Wesley Shaw spoke about the history of the building, the plants in the collection and the day-to-day work of maintaining this unique part of the Gardens.
