Friends of Oxford Botanic Garden & Arboretum

Friend's events and visits

Click here to view upcoming activities and their availability.

Make a donation

We are aiming to raise £750,000 to improve the facilities. All contributions will be most welcome, and we hope that you will feel able to help us reach this ambitious target.

Lost or replacement cards

Click here to request a replacement membership card.

Friends of Botanic Gardens Forum

A new organization, the Friends of Botanic Gardens Forum (FBGF), was set up in September 2019. Click here to read the latest newsletters.

As a Friend of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum you'll enjoy free or reduced-price entry to 13 botanic gardens across the country, including the Oxford Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum. You will meet a wonderful community of Friends at our regular events and trips abroad whilst helping to support both the Botanic Garden and Arboretum collections and research for future generations. Friends also enjoy 10% off in our Gift Shop and a Summer Party exclusively for Friends and their families. Click here to read about Friends' upcoming events and visits.

Privacy Policy

Royal Botanic Gardens: 2-for-1 entry to the Royal Botanic Gardens, including Kew Gardens in West London and Wakehurst Place at Ardingly in West Sussex.

Chelsea Physic Garden: Tucked away beside the Thames, Chelsea Physic Garden is the oldest botanic garden in London and houses around 5,000 different medicinal, herbal, edible and useful plants. Free entry with Friends' membership.

Royal Botanic Gardens of Scotland: Including the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Benmore Botanic Garden, Dawyck Botanic Garden and Logan Botanic Garden. Free entry with Friends' membership.

National Botanic Garden of Wales: The National Botanic Garden of Wales is set in the beautiful countryside of Llanarthe, Carmarthenshire. Free entry with Friends' membership.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens: The Birmingham Botanical Gardens contain glasshouses, beautiful gardens, a playground, tearoom and gift shop. Free entry with Friends' membership.

The University of Liverpool's Ness Botanic Gardens: The superb gardens at Ness in Liverpool span over 64 acres. Free entry with Friends' membership.

The University of Bristol Botanic Garden: A beautiful garden filled with a huge diversity of plants set against the backdrop of a striking Victorian house. Free entry with Friends' membership.

Queen of the night (Hylocereus undatus) - glasshouse - botanic garden

Click here to become a Friend

Become a Friend

merton borders and bees at oxford botanic garden

Click here to become a Patron

Become a Patron

Click here to learn more

Access for all at the Arboretum

flowers and butterflies photo by emiel molenaar on unsplash

The Friends’ Summer Raffle is now closed, and winners were drawn on August 31st. We are pleased to have raised a total of £3,744 to go towards improving the paths at the Arboretum! With many thanks to all those who supplied the generous prizes and to all of you who bought tickets.

Click here to view newsletters

Friends' Newsletter

The newsletter is full of information about what's happening at the Garden and Arboretum, articles by botanical experts, and details of Friends’ events. It is sent to Friends three times a year – in early March, July and November.

Click here to sign up

Friends' E-bulletin

The Friends' E-bulletin is included as part of your Friends' membership. It supplements the Friends' section of the newsletter, to make sure that you have the opportunity to take full advantage of your membership and the Garden and Arboretum. If you would like to recieve it, please sign up.

Click here to find out more

Regular drop-in tours and coffee mornings

We hold regular tours of the Arboretum and coffee mornings at the Gardens for Friends – there's no need to book and no entry fee.

Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales

President: Lord Patten of Barnes

Vice Presidents: Lawrence Banks, Robin Herbert, Lady Lapthorne, Sir Ghillean Prance, Sir Crispin Tickell, the President of Magdalen College and the Dean of Christ Church

Directors and Trustees: Sarah Taylor (Chair), Anna Nasmyth (Secretary), Hemlata Bountra (Treasurer), Simon Hiscock (Director of the Oxford Botanic Garden & Arboretum), Jane Annett, Harriet Bretherton, Seonaid Danziger, Helen Potts and Rebecca Mather.

Friends' Forum: The Directors and Maura Allen, Sue Bates, Pauline Coombes, Gina Copp, Alison Culverwell, Anna Donger, Peter Girling, Mary Isaac, Anne James, Carol Maxwell, Diana Naumann, Sally Orriss and Esther Whiting.

The Friends of Oxford Botanic Garden and Harcourt Arboretum is a company limited by guarantee:
company no 05547805, registered office in the UK at Rose Lane, Oxford OX1 4AZ. Registered charity no 1111939.

Find us on the Charity Commission website.

Read the minutes from our 2020 Annual General Meeting and FOBGA's Articles of Association (2020) as well as the agenda for our 2021 Annual General Meeting.

Friends' Accounts year ending 2021.