Kewite-mail February 2025

Last year was dominated with us making certain we are secure and focused in the key areas we need to be. We actioned a plan to help us deal with accountancy and secured Mackenzies to help us deliver our annual returns.

We delivered some great events last year and we have some good starts, ideas and plans for the coming year. It starts soon with the planned trip to Tuscany and, as this is a joint trip not solely for the Kew Guid, can we remind those that are attending to complete the required memorandum of understanding. (Please contact the Secretariat).

Meet the Kew Guild

Another event that I am really excited with, is the ‘meet the Kew Guild’ evening function that is being planned for the evening of the 23^rd April in the Princess of Wales conservatory. This is a networking opportunity, and we will be advertising on the internal comms at Kew, to encourage staff who are not active with the Kew Guild to come along and meet us. So please hold the date and look out for further information to come soon, as we would love to see you there.

Trustee changes

Unfortunately, 2024 ended with the loss of one our esteemed trustees, Mike Fawdry, and although Mike has agreed in the interim to help where needed, we are actively looking for a new trustee to take forward the role of finance oversight. Our thanks go to Mike, and we wish him well for the future. 

We were also sad to hear that Richard will be leaving RBG Kew to return back to his native homeland and although we will not be losing him completely, Richard has been immense support for the KG as a trustee, shouting out for us within Kew as part of his role as a Director.

This 23^rd April Princess of Wales event will be the last ‘in person’ event that Richard will undertake for the Kew Guild for a while, so please do come along to wish him bon voyage.

With change comes opportunity. As we concluded 2024, we were delighted to welcome Tom Pickering as a Trustee of the Kew Guild. He joins Richard and Silke, who are currently with us, to help advance our goals and aspirations. Together, we look forward to a bright and successful future for the Kew Guild.

Our vision is to transform the Kew Guild into the alumni organisation for RBG Kew, fostering a global network of passionate and knowledgeable individuals dedicated to the advancement of horticulture and the preservation of our natural world.

Sad news

As notified in the last newsletter, Simon Goodenough died recently; thank you all for your kind condolences. I have collated these and sent them to the family. 

Cyril Giles passed away at the beginning of February. Cyril collected the only known specimen of the orchid Kuhlhasseltia gilesii whilst working in Borneo for RBG Kew. Cyril's biography can be found here: Cyril Giles biography. Our thoughts are with the family and if you would like to send your condolences, please let Sara know. 

Kew Guild Journal

Our Editor Ros is working away on the 2025 edition of the Journal. Last year we asked you to update your preferences if you would like your name, contact details and/or skill set to be included in the journal. We had a muted response, and many people missed the email asking for your renewed permission. Sara has already contacted the people who expressed an interest in being included this year, but if you were missed, please contact Sara before Monday 24th February so that we can include your details this year.

Lastly, I would like to thank you all for your continued support and to let you know that the new membership cards will be landing on your doorstep soon.  

However, we have one final ask. We would like you to get in touch with us, if you are interested in being a mentor within the Kew Guild. We have a wealth of experience and talent within our membership and as part of the Kew Guild offer, we want to be able to offer out assistance and mentorship where and when needed. 

As for many this might not suit you, but we would also love to get an idea of your skills and specialisms, so that we can build a Kew Guild talent matrix. So, if you are not up for being a mentor, but are happy to be contacted, we ask that you provide agreement for your details to be shared and provide us with your area (or areas) of skills and specialisms. It would be wonderful to get to know more about our Kew Guild members and it would be so good to capture the breadth of skills and knowledge that we have as an organisation.

Finally, you might have only just started on your journey, or are well established, but want to change direction. If this is the case, please also get in touch and give us an idea of the areas you are looking for further development and understanding. So please help us and feel free to contact Sara for further information.  

So, thank you. We need to build on the Kew Guild's strengths as a collective and continue to strengthen our ties, and for that and for that alone, I am looking forward to what this year will bring for the Kew Guild.

I encourage all members to actively participate in our initiatives, share your ideas, and collaborate with fellow members. Together, we can achieve great things and make a significant impact on the horticultural community. Let's make this year our best yet!

Floreat Kew.

Rob Brett, President.

Thanks for the wonderful photos:  

Fungi in the Frost at RBG Kew: Leah Jaegermanis
RBG Kew Orchid Festival: Leah Jaegermanis 
Student supper, January 15th 2025: Rob Brett

Contact Sara: secretary@kewguild.org.uk.