Gardener and social activist Tayshan Hayden-Smith has quit his role as RHS ambassador over its Chelsea Flower Show with claims he was made to feel ‘uncomfortable’ over its lack of inclusivity
Social activist and gardener Tayshan Hayden-Smith has left his role at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) after claiming its annual Chelsea Flower Show celebrates “exclusivity over equity”.
The RHS asked the 28-year-old to become the charity’s Ambassador for Young People and Communities in 2022. His role was meant to engage a wider, younger audience into the world of nature and gardening. However, he now says he was “naïve” to believe that he could bring about change.
In a statement posted to Instagram on May 13, the eve of the Chelsea flower show, Hayden-Smith wrote: “I entered this role well intentioned and optimistic. On reflection, I now see that I was also naïve… I hoped that my presence might help open doors for communities that have long been marginalised in the world of horticulture.”
READ MORE: King Charles meets David Beckham after Harry and Meghan’s surprise Brooklyn move
He continued: “What I’ve come to learn is that representation without redistribution – of power, resources or decision-making – is not justice. And working within institutions that aren’t prepared to listen, adapt or truly share space only goes so far.”
He also criticised the Chelsea Flower Show, an annual event endowed with prestige which attracts 145,000 visitors every year – including The Royal Family. Describing the amount of air pollution created from the trucks and lorries driving up to the event, he said: “Year after year it sets a precedent that celebrates spectacle over sustainability, exclusivity over equity.”
Hayden-Smith’s journey into gardening began in the aftermath of the Grenfell Fire in 2017, in which 72 people were killed. To help process the traumatic event he turned to a small plot of green space, which he grew into the Grenfell Green Garden.
Off the back of its success, he started a non-profit organisation, Grow2Know. The aim was to empower young and disadvantaged people through “guerrilla gardening”, which involved reclaiming the city’s unused green spaces. In 2022, Hayden-Smith was offered the chance to exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show.
However, since starting his role as ambassador, he expressed that he was met with resistance, and even made to feel uncomfortable, at his attempts to open the Chelsea Flower Show up to a broader audience.
Hayden-Smith told The Guardian: “There’s many different layers of discomfort that I felt in the three years as an ambassador at the RHS. No one wants to feel like an annoyance or a nuisance under the guise of trying to do something positive.”
He also said that he felt that there was a need within the RHS to keep the flower show as it was. Hayden-Smith claimed that the Chelsea Flower Show had become “quite self-serving”.
Under his Instagram post, many commenters came to show their support, including Sue Kent, an RHS ambassador for disabilities. She wrote: “We were made RHS ambassadors together and I will miss you. I understand your frustration and disappointment, I respect your integrity. I have drafted recommendations for accessibility and ideas for reducing Chelsea’s carbon footprint and embracing technology but my words disappear into the ether.”
She added: “A big ship takes a long time to turn in the water, I’ve taken the long view for the moment.”
Hayden-Smith responded, thanking Sue for her words. He also added: “To be honest with you, I have had quite an uncomfortable few years during my tenure as ambassador – to the point where I’ve had to think about my own mental health and wellbeing as a result. I have lost all faith and hope in the RHS’s intention to actually take purposeful action, that resonates with me…”
The RHS told The Mirror: “The RHS supported Grow to Know on a project in the North Kensington borough by providing direct funding towards a community garden (£30,000). We also hosted and funded a fundraising event for the same community garden, asked local RHS members to support the project, and took part in a community engagement event with planting activities.
“The RHS delivers one of the biggest national community gardening initiatives, investing millions in school gardening, community outreach and grass roots projects around the whole country. We have a major partnership with the NHS delivering community wellbeing gardens and a partnership with the Natural History Museum supported by Department of Education to bring nature to schools across England.
In regards to Hayden-Smith’s resignation statement, they added: “All gardens at RHS Chelsea Flower Show live on to be community green spaces in places like hospitals and schools around the UK. The world-famous event also raises vital funds for the RHS to do community outreach as part of its national programme of community work.”