The Speaker Panel is one of our long-standing fundraising activities and features an inspirational selection of professional horticulturists, who all donate their time and fees to Perennial. Your club or group will be provided with an entertaining and informative presentation on a chosen subject. By booking a talk, you will be supporting gardeners, greenkeepers, landscapers, groundsmen and all those working in horticulture and their families who find themselves in difficulty.
New experts have come forward to join the panel, increasing the variety of topics and number of speakers available to you with a greater geographical spread across the country.
If you are a Horticultural Society, Gardening Club, Allotment Society or any other type of group that organises regular talks for members then please get in touch.
Virtual Talks!
Bring your favourite speaker into the comfort of your own homes by joining one of our virtual talks using the platform Zoom. This exciting new format allows us to bring the speaker to you and will include the use of slides, the ability to hold a Q&A session and a Perennial staff member will host the meeting. We will work with you to develop a format that works for your members.
This option will be available long-term so that clubs in any part of the country can enjoy talks from all our experienced speakers, no matter where they are based.
“So good to have a garden club evening again – it felt just like the real thing, except I had to provide my own tea and biscuits!” – Grayshott Gardeners Club Member
“An excellent evening showed that in these abnormal times (even in normal times), Zoom and other technology is part of our present lives and is here to stay. We need not even venture outside as Zoom will bring the lecturer into the warmth of our own homes. Perennial staff did everything necessary to set this up for us. For a good evening’s entertainment without even leaving home, I would recommend that gardening clubs contact Perennial and invite one of their volunteer speakers to lecture to them via Zoom on the subject we all love – gardening & horticulture”. – Gordon Rae, President & Patron, Grayshott Gardeners
“Must say that sitting in our warm sitting room seemed a whole lot better than walking down to the village hall in the rain!” – Fernhurst Horticultural Society Member
Gardeners Q&A Panel
Would you like the chance to book your own Gardeners Q&A Panel? The Panel will consist of two or three experts who are happy to answer your questions on a broad range of gardening subjects and topics. This will provide an entertaining and informative evening for your club or society and can be arranged on both a face to face and virtual basis.
Please note that panel speakers will vary depending on availability.
Panel of Speakers
Click here to view our full panel of speakers.
Perennial – our history and our work
Perhaps your group would like to know more about Perennial as a charity? We have a fascinating history and the work that we do is interesting and varied.
Our team has some availability to talk to groups about what we do, and how we do it. You’ll hear about some of the challenges we face, and the people that we help. You’ll learn about the major milestones in our timeline, the people involved and some of the highlights of working in such a wonderful industry. For more information, contact us today.
Contact Us
Our speakers are volunteers who donate their time and fees to Perennial. We request a suggested minimum fee of £95 for a speaker, and for the Gardeners’ Questions Panel a suggested minimum fee of £150 for two speakers or £200 for three speakers. Full terms and conditions can be found here.
Any travel expenses are payable directly to the speaker on the night and are calculated at 45p per mile – please check the speaker’s location prior to booking.
Would you be able to hold another fundraiser at the talk by perhaps organising a raffle or a tombola? All the proceeds will go towards helping and supporting people in horticulture and their families during difficult times.
To find out more and arrange your speaker’s visit, virtual talk or Q&A Panel please contact us on speakerpanel@perennial.org.uk.
Are you a garden expert in your own right? If you have knowledge to spare and would like to volunteer, join our Speaker Panel today.
Terms and Conditions
For the club –
- No talk will be fully confirmed until we have received a completed booking form containing all the required details.
- Speaker expenses to be paid in full on the date of the talk direct to the speaker – at 45p per mile – expected total can be given in advance if required.
- Perennial minimum suggested fee of £95 (and for a Q&A a minimum suggested fee of £150 for two speakers or £200 for three speakers) to be either given to the speaker after the talk (cheque payable to Perennial) or by bank transfer or postal cheque (bank details provided on request and Perennial address shown below) within 5 business days – either by cheque or by bank transfer.
- If possible, a minimum of 2 weeks notice to be given if the talk is being cancelled by the club. Please contact the team via speakerpanel@perennial.org.uk.
- If a speaker or Perennial cancels the talk then the charity will work with the club to either find an alternative date, an alternative speaker on the original date or to arrange a virtual talk on a different date.
- Perennial reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions if deemed necessary in its opinion, or if circumstances arise outside its control or depending on Covid-19 guidelines.
