Supporting a London based charity, Burma Skincare Initiative, to grow their profile

We were brought in to support a London-based charity, the Burma Skincare Initiative, to help maximise their profile through a sanctuary garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show (2024). It helped that this garden had a claim to three firsts – the first Burmese-themed garden at Chelsea, the first with the theme of skin health, and the first for a designer whose day job was completely different.

The charity’s founders also wanted to use the platform of a garden at the world’s most famous flower show to find long-term funders and attract high-profile charity patrons.

Here’s what we did over a nine-month period

With a limited budget but over 14 organisations ready to help spread the word, our approach was to use supporter and sponsor channels and contacts, plus the media covering the show. Hard work went into planning, briefing and pitching storylines to key journalists, producing a press pack, liaising with the BBC and RHS, securing preview coverage, and crafting and refining key messages.

We also delivered media and social media training. Other assets included a garden leaflet, a planting list, and a new BSI website with a dedicated Chelsea project page. The charity also got going on Instagram.

Toolkit to spread the word and to keep everyone on message

To make it as easy as possible for the 14 sponsors and supporters to talk about the project, we
developed a toolkit they could adapt to their channels. It included content about the garden, suggested social posts, a template press release, images and garden details. Each organisation was able to offer something different. They generously promoted the RHS Chelsea garden and their support for the BSI in several ways. From issuing press releases and posting content on social media to publishing features in publications read by the dermatological and medical community.

Thanks to these organisations, we achieved some great results: Sanofi, British Dermatological Nursing Group, No. 7 Beauty Company, The Devonshire Clinic, Skin Health Alliance, Lahpet, Royal College of Physicians, International League of Dermatological Societies, British Association of Dermatologists, Consultant Connect, Dulwich College, King’s College London and Kings College Hospital NHS Trust, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

Overall achievements include:

• A gold medal and best sanctuary garden
• A visit from Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal on press day
• Press coverage in key media titles, including the Times, Telegraph, lifestyle, consumer and
  gardening magazines, and online and regional news. The garden was also featured in three episodes of BBC coverage (with each episode being watched by about 3 million viewers)
• Massive social media reach – 5 million followers through LinkedIn alone and over 300k on
  Instagram
• Visitors who went away with the garden brochure
• BSI events held in the garden
• It’s legacy. The garden lives on at Dulwich College, providing a tranquil space in a busy school
  that is to be enjoyed by the community and visitors. The responsibility for it is already leading to
  pupils reflecting on medical, environmental, historical and social issues in a new and deeper
  way

We feel very fortunate to get involved in promoting the incredible charities and designers who
spend practically a whole year working up to being at the RHS Flower Show for just one week. It can result in some incredible awareness raising.

“Working with Emma, Amy and Clare of the Ten Stories team opened our eyes to the reach of social
media and the absolute importance of consistent messaging. Undoubtedly, the support we received
from Ten Stories contributed to the remarkable success of our Chelsea garden.”

Professor Chris Griffiths OBE MD FMedSci
Emeritus Professor of Dermatology, University of Manchester
Adjunct Professor, King’s College London
Consultant Dermatologist, King’s College Hospital
Director, Global Psoriasis Atlas
Editor-in-Chief, Rook’s Textbook of Dermatology

Other designers, sponsors and charities we’ve helped to promote in this way at the
RHS Chelsea Flower Show

2024 Burma Skincare Initiative Spirit of Partnership Sanctuary Garden, by Helen Olney
2022 The Perennial Garden ‘With Love’ by Richard Miers
2016 Chelsea Barracks Garden by Jo Thompson
2015 The Beauty of Islam, by Kamelia Bin Zaal
2015 Writers Retreat Garden for M&G Garden by Jo Thompson
2014 A London Garden Square for developer London Square by Jo Thompson
2012 A Celebration of Caravanning for the Caravan Club by Jo Thompson
2010 Victorian Aviary Garden by Philippa Pearson and Jonathan Denby
RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
2017 The Blind Veterans UK by Andrew Fisher Tomlin
2016 Bowel Disease UK by Andrew Fisher Tomlin and Dan Bowyer
2009 Beekeeper’s Garden by Jonathan Denby and Nicola Hill

If you’d like to contact us about promoting a similar project, drop emma@tenstories.co.uk a note.