SHROPSHIRE Horticultural Society, organisers of Shrewsbury Flower Show, is now in its strongest-ever financial position with assets at a record level – topping more than £6m for the first time.

The Society’s annual report reveals that last year’s flower show virtually broke even as planned, but new accounting practices mean that governance costs are having to be shown against the actual show.

This means that on paper the show made a loss of just over £50,000, with staging costs put at £842,076 against income of £791,525.

But taking account of the Society’s other activities including income from rented premises and investments, the total surplus for the year was £197,424, which along with revaluation of properties and investment assets, lifts the value of the Society to £6,067,093.

It is the Society’s operating policy to hold enough resources to support two shows, but at the same time make donations to community projects across the county. The figure currently approved for these is £285,000