"Jane Ransom" wrote in message
...
We are in the process of bringing our local 'Horticultural Society' into
the twenty first century and are looking for ideas for activities that
might attract the younger inhabitants of our village.

You say the 'younger' inhabitants? How young? I was in our Garden Centre
today and noticed a stand of 'Children's Garden Tools', why not start or
emphasise more the 'Younger' ones and even start a section for them and
invite Mum or Dad to join in as well? If the majority only have a small
garden do planned evenings/weekends on 'The Handkerchief Garden' and hold a
competition.

Add Social Evenings into your calendar with 'Bangers and Mash' Evenings,
these evenings can be fund raising events for your Society so ask them to
bring a prize for a Raffle. Not Horticultural or Gardening themed, but we
hold these fund raising evenings and think nothing of making £200.00 or more
and have a good evening.

"Take over" (with permission of the Council or whoever own them) any small
public gardens or flower beds and get people who don't normally have an
interest in gardening, to 'help' you to make a display of these beds. (Not
my idea, I got roped into doing the beds around the War Memorial and the
'Horse Trough' Flower bed)

Hold a Village in Bloom contest. The people who are going to take part
register now and the Judging is ........... you decide now so they have
something to go for. A Cup and a Certificate to keep AND, you will find your
local garden centre/nurseries will donate tokens as prizes, tie all of this
up with your local council, they 'might' pay for advertising and/or leaflets
to be printed/ distributed.

If you want to get the whole village involved there has to be something
which will appeal to ALL, like a "100 Club" with £500.00 worth of prizes
over the year 'run by the Horticultural Society'. (Just about to launch the
same thing here as a start to a £500,000.00 Fund Raising scheme for the
local 'Open Space/Sports Field'. BTW you have to be registered with your
local council and this will cost you £35.00 and you need the leaflet about
the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976)

More ideas? Have a 'Brain Storming' session where every idea is thrown into
the pot, no matter how daft. 'Something' could be made of even the most
stupid idea.

Mike