UPDATE: Due to the Coronavirus, The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2020 has been cancelled but that doesn’t stop you preparing for The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021!
The Chelsea Flower Show is being held on the 19th to the 23rd of May 2020 at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. It’s an annual event run by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and is regarded as one of the highest profile garden shows anywhere in the world.
Volunteering at The Chelsea Flower Show is a great idea for anyone who wants to help out or break into the industry. It can be a very rewarding experience that can help you make friends, experience new things, learn a lot about the industry and potentially make some useful industry contacts.
Using our courses to find out more about how the events industry works won’t guarantee you a spot at The Chelsea Flower Show. It will tell you more about the events industry and whether it could be the right career for you though!
The Chelsea Flower Show actively welcomes volunteers to help out. All applications will be through the RHS and include many opportunities outside the Chelsea show.
Competition is tough to get a spot at the show so you have to apply early. All volunteering positions are advertised on the RHS website on their volunteer page.
You may also find it useful to monitor the Chelsea Flower Show Facebook page in case they list any volunteer vacancies. Alternatively, the RHS Facebook page may also feature future volunteer positions for The Chelsea Flower Show and other RHS shows.
Volunteer roles at The Chelsea Flower Show vary but can include meeting and greeting, working in shops and cafes, giving directions, handing out flyers, encouraging people to sign up to the RHS and other roles.
As this is a flower show, the roles are going to be fairly genteel and will likely involve dealing with the public in various ways to ensure they enjoy the event. Greeting them as they enter the show, offering directions to lost visitors, handing out RHS literature, answering questions, serving in the café and supporting roles across the show.
There may also be assistance required in the cleanup and teardown of the show but as exhibitors are responsible for their own patch of land, you are unlikely to be required to lift or carry.
There is no prescribed way to get a volunteer position at The Chelsea Flower Show. The RHS website asks you to register your interest on their website and await selection. Application doesn’t guarantee acceptance but it is the most direct route to becoming a volunteer.
The application process seems fairly straightforward. You would contact a local organizer for the RHS depending on the role you applied for and work through the process directly.
While not officially mentioned, it isn’t unreasonable to think priority will be given to RHS members and those who have previously volunteered with the organization. You may find it easier to volunteer first at other RHS events to get your name known and associated with being a hard worker and for being reliable.
