Legacies
How you can help make a difference
As a charity, the AGS receives no government funding. We rely on the support of dedicated alpine enthusiasts like you to pass on your love of alpine gardening to future generations.
We have ambitious plans for the future and legacies are invaluable in supporting our work. Our plans include building on our conservation work to help look after many more alpine habitats in need.
We will also continue to fund important research in the alpine field, expand our free online encyclopaedia and provide training for the next generation of alpine gardeners.
Without your support, these projects simply would not be possible.
How we spend your legacy
Leaving a gift in your will is a wonderful way to support alpine gardening and conservation.
Find out how we’ve used previous legacies below.
​The AGS Centre in Pershore… courtesy of Anthony Pettit
A generous legacy from AGS member Anthony Pettit in 1988 enabled us to build the AGS Centre in Pershore - a resource and support hub open to all members.
How we used the legacy
For many decades since the Society was founded in 1929, we had no central hub where our members could access support and information.
In 1988 we were gifted an incredibly generous £500,000 in the will of Anthony Pettit to further our charitable objectives. We sought opinion from our members as to the best way to spend the fund and were committed to putting the full amount towards one solid project. The consensus was the construction of a resource centre, open to all AGS members. And so our Pershore centre was born.
The AGS Centre is where our office staff are based, the meetings of the Trustee Board are held and the place from where our seed exchange operates. The doors are also open to our members, who can browse the extensive reference library, seek advice from the office team and purchase books.
We chose Pershore as we wanted a central location in a peaceful setting. We are also lucky to be located next door to Pershore College (a national centre for horticulture) so it has become something of a horticultural hub.
About Anthony Pettit
Anthony had been a member of the Society for twenty years when he died aged 63 in 1988. He was also a member of the local AGS Birmingham group. He had an impressive bulb collection and enjoyed plant-hunting holidays.
Anthony had been the owner of a clothes factory in Staffordshire before he retired from ill health. Upon his retirement, Anthony moved to Wiltshire. It was the funds from the sale of his Wiltshire house and London flat that were so kindly donated to our charity.