Kew for One Pound offer reaches thousands in first months
“Money is tight, but we found this a rare affordable day out.” – Visitor to Kew Gardens, May 2022
With the return of RHS Chelsea Flower Show next week fostering a renewed interest in the benefits of green spaces for mental and physical wellbeing, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has reached a milestone in the number of visitors availing of a new discounted ticket.
Since the introduction in January of a £1 entry ticket for people in receipt of Universal or Pension Credit, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has welcomed 8000 visitors using the new low-cost ticket across its sites at Kew Gardens and Wakehurst in Sussex.
To date, the new scheme has encouraged eight times more visitors to the gardens than the previous discounted entry ticket brought in the whole of 2019 (which was available to anyone unemployed or on Jobseeker’s Allowance).
The remarkable response follows an uptick in overall visitor numbers to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which saw a 61% increase in 2021 making Kew Gardens the second most visited attraction in the UK*. The importance of access to green space was highlighted over the lockdowns, and this summer Kew scientists and partners from Royal Holloway, University of London are embarking on a study as part of Nature Unlocked: the Landscape Ecology Programme at Wakehurst to explore how spending time outdoors impacts wellbeing.
The offer was launched as part of a suite of new ticket prices which aims to make the gardens more accessible to people of all ages and incomes, reflecting Kew’s Manifesto for Change (2020) which states ‘Kew must be accessible to a wide range of audiences’.
Sandra Botterell, Director of Marketing and Commercial Enterprise says, “It’s wonderful to see that this new offer is enabling more people to come and enjoy the gardens at Kew and Wakehurst, as we know how important time out in nature is both for physical and mental wellbeing. We’re delighted to offer more people a space to which to escape, meet friends and family, and learn about the incredible world of plants and fungi upon which our lives depend. I hope visitors continue to spread the word so we can welcome as many people to Kew as possible.”
One visitor to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, who availed of this new discounted ticket says,
“Due to illness I have been unable to work for a couple of years. Thus, money is tight (especially with the rising cost of utilities in conjunction with inflation). Being able to use my Universal Credit status as a means to get a reduced ticket was a godsend as such. I've wanted to re visit for quite some time but couldn’t really justify it financially. Paying a pound I felt guilty about after seeing the exhibitions. So, we bought some things in the shops and put a few pounds into the collection boxes. Thank you.”
Another visitor to Kew Gardens using the £1 ticket said;
“I was really pleased to see you now offer a substantial concession to people on low incomes (on Universal Credit etc.) This makes Kew inclusive for everyone and is really important especially considering the work done at Kew and its importance to everyone.”
Elsewhere, on social media @Roadsidemum said;
“I took the children to @kewgardens yesterday (US and Legacy benefits recipients get entry for £1). I cannot overstate how beautiful it was. None of my photos do it justice. I would strongly recommend it to anyone at all. Paths flat and solid for the wheelchair. Helpful staff.”
RBG Kew offers an exciting programme of festivals and exhibitions throughout the year across both sites, and entry is available to all visitors, including those using the discounted entry ticket. Highlights coming up at Kew Gardens include the Food Forever programme (May-September), the Mexico Autumn Festival (October) and Orchids (Feb 2023). At Wakehurst, unmissable events include Nourish (July – September) and Room on the Broom (October).
RBG Kew has also introduced a new Young Person’s ticket at Kew Gardens for 16-25 year olds which can be purchased for just £9 either on the day or in advance of a visit. For families or other groups, there is also now a reduced price for early booking of just £15 per adult. At Wakehurst, 17-25 year olds can purchase tickets for £7.50, and children 16yrs and under (accompanied by an adult) can enjoy the gardens for free.
Kew also now offers people a significant discount for daytime visitors after 4pm at Kew Gardens and after 3.30pm at Wakehurst on any day during extended opening hours over the summertime.
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Notes to Editors
For more information, images or to book an interview, please contact the Press Office at pr@kew.org
0208 332 5607 or Chloe Wells at c.wells@kew.org
Summary of new prices at Kew Gardens
Booking link https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/visit-kew-gardens/tickets
Adult Universal Credit or Pension Credit price: £1 (£8.75 lower than 20/21)
Adult in advance (2 days before visit): £15 (£2.50 lower than 20/21)
Young Persons on the day/advance price: £9 (75p lower than the 20/21 on the day price)
Child on the day/advance price: £5 (£1 lower than 20/21 on the day price)
Wakehurst
https://www.kew.org/wakehurst/buy-tickets
Concession Ticket (Universal and Pension Credit): £1
Young Persons (17 to 25): £7.50
Children (0 to 16): Free
Late entry (from 3.30pm): Adults £7.50, Young Persons £3.75
About Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world-famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding collections as well as its scientific expertise in plant diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world. Kew Gardens is a major international and a top London visitor attraction.
Kew Gardens’ 132 hectares of landscaped gardens, and Wakehurst, Kew’s Wild Botanic Garden, attract over 2.5 million visits every year. Kew Gardens was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and celebrated its 260th anniversary in 2019. Wakehurst is home to Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed bank in the world.
RBG Kew receives approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needed to support RBG Kew’s vital work comes from donors, membership and commercial activity including ticket sales.
About Wakehurst
Please note that Wakehurst is referred to just as ‘Wakehurst’, not ‘Wakehurst Place’. It is not a National Trust property.
Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex is home to the Millennium Seed Bank and over 500 acres of the world’s plants including temperate woodlands, ornamental gardens and a nature reserve. It is situated in the High Weald of Sussex, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and focuses on wild plant collections. The Millennium Seed Bank houses and protects seed from the world’s most substantial and diverse collection of threatened and useful wild plants, making it the most biodiverse place on earth.