British Red Cross to make debut at RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2025 with Here for Humanity Garden

The British Red Cross is thrilled to announce the organisation’s first garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May 2025. The British Red Cross ‘Here for Humanity’ Garden has been inspired by Henri Dunant – the visionary founder and first volunteer of the Red Cross Movement – and the countless volunteers who have since dedicated their lives to impartial and compassionate service across the globe and here in the UK.

The garden has been designed by six-times RHS Gold Medal winner, John Warland alongside Tom Bannister, who received a Gold Medal and was awarded Best in Class at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024.  

Offering a contemporary twist on an alpine garden, large stone column-like planters mimic traditional trough alpine displays, whilst areas of scree and crevice planting allow for a unique collection of plants from across the world to be displayed. This will include Alpine plants from countries around the world, including the UK, Turkiye, Morocco and Ethiopia, referencing the lifesaving work of the Red Cross in the face of disasters and emergencies. These plants represent the ability of humanity to survive and thrive in even the most extreme conditions.

Béatrice Butsana-Sita, CEO of the British Red Cross, said:  

"We are delighted to have our very first garden at Chelsea Flower Show in 2025. It’s a brilliant opportunity to provide the public with a greater understanding of our lifesaving work, highlighting the importance and strength of our neutrality in an increasingly complex and polarizing world. Our garden will be one of hope and we are incredibly excited to share this with our volunteers, supporters and the public.”

Liz Padmore, Chair of the British Red Cross, said:

“The British Red Cross has been helping people in crisis for over 150 years. Bringing humanity and offering a place of safety and sanctuary in an ever-changing world. Our work is needed more now than ever before. Our ‘Here for Humanity’ Garden will bring this to life at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, helping to tell the story of our vital work and the people we support across the UK and overseas.”

John Warland, Garden Designer and six-time RHS Gold Medalist, said:

“The British Red Cross is an organisation that deserves to tell its story. It has an incredible history which is worthy of recognition and celebration and its impact and presence in the world today, and ambition to be there for those in crisis for the next century, is beyond inspiring. It’s an honour to be trusted with the responsibility of relaying this story to the public.”

The contemporary design of the garden showcases interlocking hexagonal columnar stone jointing – unique in size but all fitting together seamlessly – to reference the 191 national societies of the Red Cross around the world.  The modular design will also mean the garden can live on after Chelsea and continue to be used and enjoyed into the future.

The Red Cross ‘Here for Humanity’ Garden will be launched at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 which will take place in the Royal Hospital Grounds, Chelsea, London SW3 4SR from Tuesday 20th May to Saturday 24th May 2025.  

After the show the garden will be relocated to the grounds of Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, South London. South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust provides the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK. The garden will be a space for patients, carers and staff to relax and enjoy the healing power of nature.

ENDS

Contact:
The British Red Cross      
Siân Merrylees / 07956 593111 / smerrylees@redcross.org.uk

Notes to editors

About the British Red Cross
For over 150 years, the British Red Cross has helped people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. With millions of volunteers in over 190 countries, the British Red Cross is part of an international humanitarian Movement that’s there for people before, during and after a crisis. Together, we are the world’s emergency responders. www.redcross.org.uk

About RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show takes place in the Royal Hospital Grounds, Chelsea, London SW3 4SR from Tuesday 20th May to Saturday 24th May 2025.  For more information about the show, please contact the RHS Press Office at showspr@rhs.org.uk.