One of Chiddingfold's oldest village organisations could come to an end after 176 years unless new members step forward to save it.

The Chiddingfold Horticultural Society has warned it may cease to exist following its annual general meeting in October after years of declining membership, despite repeated efforts to recruit new volunteers and committee members.

Founded in 1850 during the reign of Queen Victoria, the society has been at the heart of Chiddingfold for generations, celebrating gardening, flower growing and community spirit through seasonal shows, talks and events.

Committee member Ben Baker said: "What of the future? Well, we have decided that despite our best efforts we have not achieved the goal of new members who wish to get involved in gardening in Chiddingfold and experience the benefits that we think membership to 'Horti' can bring.

"We appear to be part of a trend away from clubs and societies where social media and the pressures of life take preference. We hope for a miracle that will turn events around, but we are not holding our breath."

At its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, the society had around 300 members. Today, that number has fallen to fewer than 50 despite repeated recruitment drives through its website, the parish magazine, talks and public events.

The society's struggle reflects the challenges facing many long-established community groups as they compete for people's time and find it increasingly difficult to recruit younger members and volunteers to keep organisations running.

Christopher Ashton-Jones, who spearheads the Volunteer Awards in Haslemere, said volunteering itself had not disappeared, but organisations needed to adapt.

He said: "There are still plenty of volunteers in and around Haslemere, but things are changing. The volunteers are there, but we sometimes have to work harder to connect them with the right opportunities."

The Horticultural society was founded at a remarkable point in British history. Queen Victoria had been on the throne for just 13 years, the Great Exhibition was on the horizon, Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species had yet to be published and fish and chip shops were only just beginning to appear in England.

Originally, the events gave the owners of the village's grand houses and their gardeners an opportunity to display their finest produce and compete for prizes. Apart from interruptions during the two World Wars and the COVID-19 pandemic, the tradition has continued for more than a century and a half.

One recent success has been its partnership with St Mary's School to celebrate the society's 175th anniversary. More than 212 sunflower seeds were planted by pupils, each hoping to grow a sunflower measuring as close as possible to 175 centimetres for display at the Autumn Show.

The society supplied the seeds and pots and will present prizes for both the tallest and shortest sunflower. The children's sunflower artwork was also displayed at Chiddingfold Fete, where committee members dressed in Victorian costume while selling plants grown by members and strawberries donated by Hall Hunter of Tuesley Farm.

Despite initiatives such as these, committee members say they have been unable to attract enough new people willing to become actively involved.