The Avon Gardens Trust (AGT) and Gloucestershire Gardens & Landscape Trust (GGLT) have decided to merge. The reasons for the merger are varied, but both County Garden Trusts have similar problems: dwindling membership with an ageing cohort of members; difficulty in finding volunteers to become trustees or to take on the administrative jobs; and low and falling attendances at meetings and lectures.
The Committees of both organisations consider that a merger will bring a greater cohort of members, more people to call on for trustees and committee roles as well as providing a wider geographical area offering more opportunity for garden visits and landscape lectures.
An Extraordinary General Meeting of both Trusts has been held separately and the outcome agreed unanimously in each case.
A working group from both Trusts has been set up to formulate the the implementation of the merger and are speaking to banks, the Charity Commission, agreeing the new charitable aims with the Charity Commission, and dissolving the existing charities to form the Avon and Gloucestershire Gardens Trust.
The activities and aims of the organisations are similar and will be maintained in the new Trust.
No action is required of members and any new members will be automatically enrolled to this new body. Full details will be circulated to all members of both Trusts as they are resolved.