The new interim chief executive of The National Gardens Scheme, George Plumptre, brings to the charity commercial and entrepreneurial skills deeply rooted in horticulture, publishing and the arts. George has been appointed for six-months to take over from Julia Grant who left the charity before Christmas to join a London-based venture philanthropy business.
The NGS opens more than 3,700 private gardens annually in England and Wales for charity and has given to its beneficiaries over £26 million in the last ten years. George’s own family home in Kent has been opening its gardens for them since the 1970s.
In 1999 George founded the multi-channel gardening business Greenfingers, which was subsequently sold to its current owners. He has held senior executive positions in two leading auction houses, Sotheby’s and Bonhams, at both of which he had responsibility for business development and publications.
After reading history at Jesus College, Cambridge he initially concentrated on developing his career in writing, principally on gardens and horticulture. His work as a journalist has included being Gardening Correspondent of The Times in the 1990s and he has published ten books on different aspects of gardens and horticulture.
George was appointed to the NGS governing council in 2006 and became deputy chairman in 2010. Commenting on his new appointment George said: “Since its foundation in 1927 the NGS has made an impressive job of evolving to keep up with the times. In today’s environment it is bucking the trend by increasing the amount raised and distributed year on year; the challenge is to maximise the commercial potential of the organisation without compromising the charitable qualities. Having admired it from a distance for most of my working career, it’s a great opportunity for me to steer the NGS towards its 85th birthday next year and I am sure my commercial business experience and detailed knowledge of opening gardens will prove a strong combination.”
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