Good news for all of you green fingered show boats out there. The Chelsea flower show has secured a £3 million pound deal.
The 2009 show was caught up with a lot of trouble that put the focus of the show slightly off centre. The show struggled obtaining sponsorship due to the recession. It seemed that the sponsorship funds that are usually forward coming, had proved to be a little more elusive, mainly due to companies having to watch every penny they where spending.
News of the latest cash injection could not have come at a better time. This has proved to be a real Christmas treat before starting the New Year.
A turbulent year witnessed a drop in membership figures and a fear that the shows appeal might be waning seemed to be justified. To add to further negative attention the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) decided to cut 80 jobs. The number of show gardens also fell from 22 down to 14.
After the previous three year deal had come to an end with Marshalls Plc the RHS' fears grew over finding a replacement sponsor. Fortunately for the show M&G stepped in and secured sponsorship of the event.
Gordon Seabright who is the acting chief executive of the RHS decided not to elaborate on the deal that they had struck with M&G but did go on to say "They fit well with the values of the RHS". He also went on to explain "Several of the people we were in talk with were from the financial world and it appears a definite sign the market is picking up".
The RHS are still to decide on the number of show gardens that will feature this year and next month should see that decision being made. There is however, a worry that there may be a few that are to be turned away.
Matthew Appleby who is the deputy editor of the Horticulture Week said "Chelsea is bouncing back after a bad year in 2009 when the credit crunch came at just the wrong time for garden sponsors". He is optimistic about the future for the show and explained "with the show looking to be back to where it was in 2010 this could signal an upturn in fortunes for Britain's biggest garden organisation.".
The show has previously brought about £1.5 profit yet figures indicate that the show costs a whopping £3.5 million to stage.
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