From Future Gardeners to Horticulturalists
First gardening students from our free course at Queen Elizabeth Park graduate!
On Friday 4 August 2023, the first cohort of East London Future Gardeners celebrated their success at a ceremony held at Timber Lodge Café in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. These Future Gardeners were welcomed into the horticultural industry by leading experts including award-winning floral designer Hazel Gardiner.
Seven students graduated from our East London pilot project, alongside 14 Future Gardeners from our course based in London’s SE1. All seven of the East London Future Gardeners leave to go onto future employment, while four South London students are entering higher level horticultural training and three secured jobs in the horticultural field.
What is Future Gardeners?
Future Gardeners is a free course for people who want to gain the core skills to go on to access entry level jobs in the horticulture industry. Previous work experience, qualifications or specialist knowledge is not required, just enthusiasm and a desire to learn more about horticulture. It’s designed to particularly support the long term unemployed or those who would otherwise struggle to access the training they need to make a career change.
Working in horticultural partnership
Future Gardeners is a collaborative programme run by us and supported by our partners The Worshipful Company of Gardeners, The Royal Parks Guild and Walworth Garden. We usually host the course at our Living Space and at Walworth Garden, but this year, with funds from LLDC, a pilot course was developed at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park open to those who live in the boroughs of Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest. The course ran in partnership with Build East Skills Centre and idverde.
Future Gardeners - work-ready in 12 weeks
Both the East London and South London courses graduated on the same day - a wonderful 21 budding horticulturalists entering the industry.
The high pass and employment rate of Future Gardeners is testament to the course’s aim of getting students work-ready in just a few weeks. Participants gain a City & Guilds Level 1 Award, Certificate and Diploma in Practical Horticulture Skills. The East London project also offered students the chance to gain a CSCS card with Build East Skills Centre – enabling them to take up entry level jobs in both horticulture and construction. Hands on work experience is also key, with students working in some of London’s top parks and green spaces. In July, the East London students joined the South African Ambassador and local schoolchildren to plant trees on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to celebrate Nelson Mandela International Day.
Lamberto, a Future Gardener from Tower Hamlets, said: “The Future Gardeners course was a great help, especially around preparing for interviews to start a career in horticulture. I got more than I expected on the practical side, especially visiting the Tree Musketeers and having motivational conversations with head gardeners in Victoria Park and West Ham Park.”
Our CEO, Charlotte Gilsenan, said: “As we celebrate our 17th round of Future Gardeners, we are delighted to see this successful programme expand into East London, enabling even more people to pursue a career in horticulture. We wish all our students every success in the future.”
Michelle May, Director of Inclusive Economy at LLDC said: “We are delighted that the Park’s Future Gardeners pilot has been such a success. Participants drawn from the four Growth Boroughs have brought their enthusiasm and dedication to the programme, making the most of this opportunity. We are pleased that so many of the cohort have been successful in gaining industry relevant qualifications, securing job offers within the horticultural sector or are looking to set up their own businesses. We wish them every success in the future.”
Terry Burns, Operations Manager, idverde said: “The Future Gardeners programme pilot at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has been very successful. The idverde UK Performance Campus is committed to offering our employees the best possible training and personal development, but now we can also offer an entry level course to people in the local community to help them succeed with their chosen career path.”
Find out more about Future Gardeners here.
Future Gardeners celebrate with staff from Walworth Garden (2nd from left), Hazel Gardiner (front, kneeling in blue) and Bankside Open Spaces Trust’s Future Gardeners Facilitator Shereen (right, jumping).