Work on a £2.5 million restoration of the award winning Victoria Park in Stafford will go ahead thanks to money raised by National Lottery players.

The Borough Council announced today it had been successful in its bid for over £1.7 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Big Lottery Fund as part of the ‘Parks for People’ programme.

Plans have already been approved for the restoration work that will concentrate on the historical section of the park, which boasts a bowling green and aviary along with historical features such as the Mottram Shelter and County War Memorial with the River Sow running through the centre.

Feedback from residents and community groups has revealed the majority of those using the park would like an enhanced catering facility, a better aviary and have a horticultural learning centre – among a number of ideas put forward.

The £2.5 million project is made up of the £1,716,300 National Lottery money with the additional £800,000 coming from the Council. Work is expected to start in January.

You can see the proposed improvements with a virtual tour of the park from www.staffordbc.gov.uk/hlf.

The tour shows plans for an improved entrance to the park, a new covered seating area overlooking the river and bandstand, and improvements to the Edwardian path, historic structures and toilet facilities. The scheme would see enhanced landscaping across the park and restoration of listed structures and ornate railings.

Victoria Park is more than 100 years old and has been awarded the ‘Green Flag’ – as one of the best parks and open spaces in the country – since 2007. In 2011 the Council transformed the play area of the park which has proved an enormous success with families and young people and it was awarded a Certificate of Excellence by online travel review site – Trip Advisor – for its great customer feedback.

Councillor Mike Smith, Cabinet Member for Leisure, said the authority had an excellent track record in improving facilities in the borough: “It is tremendous news that we have secured this funding from the HLF and Big Lottery Fund to go ahead and improve on what is an already popular park. And thank you to the hard work of those who made sure we were successful in getting this grant.

“Victoria Park is a jewel in the Stafford crown and an important gateway to the town for visitors arriving from the railway station. We want to ensure it will continue to be a beautiful haven for local people and visitors to enjoy for many, many years to come.

“This work is about restoration. We want to bring back and restore historic features so they are not lost for future generations – while improving on existing facilities using the feedback from residents, park users and those who play an important role within the park.”

More information on the park at www.staffordbc.gov.uk/victoriapark. To take the virtual tour go to www.staffordbc.gov.uk/hlf.

Long-serving Lee Oakey of Barcham Trees has joined colleague Julie Tenney in the nursery’s local authority tree sales department. His intention is to visit many of the Cambridgeshire company’s clients in the forthcoming months. Oakey has been with the company for 25 years, during which time he has gained a thorough understanding of the business and its customers’ needs.

Announcing the appointment, Barcham’s sales director Keith Sacre said: “We now have the two most experienced members of our team liaising with this vital customer-base. Lee has long been a key figure here and we are delighted he is now working alongside Julie”.

In addition to his series of planned customer visits, Lee Oakey will also be attending the Arboricultural Association’s National Amenity Conference at Exeter in September and the National Tree Officers Conference at Telford in November.

To arrange a visit from Lee, please e-mail lee@barchamtrees.co.uk

LazyLawn^® supplied over 1200 square metres of Grass Park Junior, Nylon Pro and Wonder Yarn 26, which won the Which? Best Buy Award in 2016, at Highfields Park Adventure Golf.

Over 1000 people visited the golf course at the launch during the May Bank Holiday weekend.

The golf course has been installed as part of a multi-million pound project to restore Highfields Park. The project will also include a new boating house by Highfields Lake and new croquet lawns for two bowling greens at the park.

The golf course has been designed with local Nottinghamshire themes in mind, including Robin Hood, Sherwood Forest, the City of Caves and Beeston Lake.

Jordan Foster, site manager at Highfields Park Adventure Golf said: “Our first weekend was very successful, with people commenting on the local design of the golf course. Visitors also mentioned how good the quality of the surface is. The golf course will be popular with families for some summer fun.”

Josh Bartlett, project manager for Highfields Park, said: “I have worked on many golf courses with my team. This one in particular was fun to work on because of the local themes design. The location is also fantastic and the project to revamp Highfields Park will help to attract more people to the area.

“LazyLawn is ideal for golf courses because it is resilient and durable under all weather conditions. LazyLawn^® doesn’t become muddy or damaged in bad weather like natural grass does.”

This LazyLawn^®  project was installed by the LazyLawn^® Lincs and Notts team. LazyLawn^®  has also been installed in other local areas in Nottinghamshire including Center Parcs.

For more information about LazyLawn^®  in Nottinghamshire, please email notts@lazylawn.co.uk or call 0843 659 5884.

For special offers and to find out what’s going on at Highfields Park over the summer, please visit the Highfields Park Facebook page: www.facebook.com/HighfieldsParkGolf.

In its latest partnership with the RHS, Hartley Botanic has unveiled a new, iconic glasshouse commission to form the centrepiece of the Royal Horticultural Society’s new edible gardens at RHS Hyde Hall. With a unique octagonal design, stately roof lantern and 14m span, the new glasshouse joins a long list of public commissions for the Lancashire-based manufacturer.

The new Hyde Hall glasshouse is a bespoke and original version of the manufacturer’s Victorian glasshouse model, from above, the glasshouse’s roof is a perfect octagon, with the shape allowing for an impressive growing volume and allowing light to flood in from every angle. The glasshouse has been powder coated in Hartley Botanic’s proprietary Verona Stone colour and, set on a rise within Hyde Hall’s gardens, the structure can be seen for miles across the Chelmsford landscape.

Advanced 3D CAD Software was used to visualise and design the structure but very little automation was involved in its construction. Although Hartley Botanic uses modern cutting equipment, much is still hand operated using traditional ways of working. Traditional mechanical joints have been used throughout the structure rather than welding and the glasshouse was trial assembled completely by hand.

As in every Hartley greenhouse or glasshouse, each pane of glass has individual, bespoke frames and there is no glass to glass contact. This means broken glass is easier to replace and can be done from the outside with minimum impact to the overall structure. Every part within the glasshouse, down to the smallest bracket and extrusion, is on record and drawn on file for easy re-manufacture. In this way, Hartley Botanic can easily support the glasshouse’s ongoing maintenance and repair.

Robert Brett, curator of RHS Garden Hyde Hall commented: “We wanted something which visitors could really enjoy to form the core of our new edible garden.”

Tom Barry, managing director of Hartley Botanic commented: “It is always a thrill to work on projects we know the public will be able to enjoy, but the scale of the brief and challenge to create a centrepiece in keeping with the garden’s circular landscaping was very interesting.”

All Hartley Botanic’s greenhouses and glasshouses are made to order. Customers interested in purchasing a Hartley Botanic greenhouse should visit: https://www.hartley-botanic.co.uk or call 01457 819 155 for more information.

1797 parks, gardens, cemeteries, universities, museums, hospitals, shopping centres and canals have met the tough criteria demanded by the Award.

Parks matter, this year more than 37 million people in this country will visit a park, five million more than voted in June’s General Election.

The Green Flag Award is a sign of a well-managed, clean and safe park and with many people increasingly relying on their local park as a place to exercise, relax and have fun, quality green space has never been more important.

Research shows that people will only visit a park if they perceive it to be clean and safe and the Green Flag Award is an easy way for the public to see at a glance that their park meets the highest standards.

Among this year’s new entries are the community garden at London’s Tate Modern and the grounds of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.

Also raising the Green Flag for the first time this year is Milton Keynes which is celebrates its 50^th anniversary.

Awards are being presented at ceremonies this week in Hull, Derby, Reading and Watford.

Floods minister announces which projects around the country have been allocated funding for natural flood defences, part of the government’s drive to roll out innovative techniques to reduce flood risk.

New allocations of flood management funding will allow homes, businesses and communities around the country to benefit from increased flood protection, Floods Minister Thérèse Coffey announced today.

34 community led projects have been named as winners of a £1m government funded competition, the first of its kind, and will now be able to realise their innovative plans to use landscape features such as ponds, banks, meanders, channels, and trees to store, drain or slow flood water.

24 other catchment scale projects have also been allocated funding to develop larger scale projects which will benefit wider areas; with Cumbria, Greater Manchester Merseyside and Cheshire and Wolsingham all receiving over £1m of funding.

Environment minister Thérèse Coffey said: “This funding will help more than 50 projects around the country take full advantage of innovative natural flood management measures. Flood defence technology and engineering is better than ever and by using a mix of natural and concrete defences, we can provide the best flood protection for individual areas.

Methods such as restoring floodplains and planting trees will not only help protect families, homes and businesses from flooding, they will also bring environmental benefits to the wider area and all the people who live in these many communities.”

Minister Coffey announced the successful allocations in Sutton and Roxwell, where she visited two of the schemes which will receive funding.

Following flooding in Roxwell last year the community bid for funding to improve land and ditch management and reduce the risk of the local brook overtopping again. This project has been allocated £50,000 so the community can work with local landowners to help slow the flow of water down to the brook.

Sutton’s sustainable drainage in schools project will receive £50,000 to improve the town’s natural flood defences. This scheme will be run across seven of Sutton’s schools, providing improved flood protection to over 100 properties.

Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency, said: “Natural flood management is an important part of our approach, alongside traditional flood defences and helping homeowners to improve their own property resilience. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution to flooding and this scheme is a fantastic example of how we can use a variety of measures that work together to reduce flood risk.”

These allocations come from the £15 million of natural flood management funding which was announced in March, following the Autumn statement.

Details of the allocations are available here.

The Landscape Institute (LI) has met with a number of well-respected figures within the landscape management and policy disciplines to help improve its offering to a broader range of practitioners.

In the inaugural meeting of the Landscape Management Leadership Forum, attendees discussed how the LI might be able to attract and retain members from some parts of the landscape sector not currently reflected in the LI membership.

The ultimate goal, over a two-year period, is to re-shape entry requirements, CPD, training, standards and guidance, influencing, and the overall offer for landscape management practitioners. The LI believes that as an organisation, we can do more to provide the support and services that this area of the profession needs, just as we have done for landscape designers and planners over many years.

LI president Merrick Denton-Thompson, who chaired the meeting, said: “It is my view that the Landscape Institute should be inclusive in attracting all the professional skills that determine our landscapes today. Some of the most profound changes to the landscape are not through design, but through a myriad of day-to-day management decisions often driven by policies unrelated to design and construction.”

Expanding the membership to encompass a greater number of management and policy professionals is part of the LI’s aspiration to become the professional home for all practitioners who transform the built and natural environment. Steps have already been made in this direction, with a number of landscape management courses – including the fondly remembered course at Wye College – being accredited. Landscape managers now account for over 10% of the membership. But, intimated Merrick, against a potential membership of many thousands, and given the need of a professional body focused on multi-purpose landscape infrastructure, “there is more that the LI can and should be doing”.

“With this breadth of influence,” Merrick continued, “the landscape profession will be a force to be reckoned with, and its holistic service to society will become central to the quality of our urban and rural landscapes everywhere.”

Invited on the basis of profile, sector, and geography, the Landscape Management Leadership Forum members will provide the LI with insight into areas it has yet to reach. Attending the first meeting were:

• Alison Barnes, CEO at the New Forest National Park Authority
• Mark Camley, Executive Director of Park and Venues at the London Legacy Development Corporation
• Howard Davies, Chief Executive at The National Association for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
• Chris Fairbrother, Landscape Lead for the Strategy and Partnerships Team at South Downs National Park Authority
• Euan Hall, Chief Executive at the Land Trust
• Sue Ireland, former Director of Open Spaces at the City of London
• Sally Marsh, Co-Director of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership
• Liz Newton, Director of Strategy Development at Natural England
• Julie Procter, Rural Business Manager at Terra Firma Environmental Ltd
• Jim Smyllie, former Executive Director of Strategy at Natural England
• David Solly, People and Access Specialist at Natural England
• Stephen Trotter, Director for England at the Wildlife Trusts

In recognition of their status as market leaders who meet the levels of professionalism and technical expertise required of all LI members, the LI Board of Trustees has invited all attendees to join the LI membership.

LI Head of Technical and Professional Services Simon Odell CMLUI remarked upon a “fruitful and positive first step”, noting a”strong welcome” for the LI’s aims and a “real desire to help”. All attendees agreed that many more landscape managers could and should have a home within the LI, and an emphasis emerged on breaking down barriers that have arisen through prejudice and lack of understanding.

The next meeting of the Landscape Management Leadership Forum will take place in the autumn, and will look at required education, skills and competencies and how they fit with course accreditation, routes to licentiate membership, and the Pathway to Chartership. This will include both present needs and anticipated needs for the future. If you would like to assist, please get in touch.

Approval has been given by Tendring District Council’s (TDC) Cabinet for a £90,000 scheme of improvements to go ahead in Walton’s Millennium Square.

Located within the High Street car park, the Millennium Square was developed to provide a meeting place for visitors to the town and a focal point for events.

The new design will provide an enhanced and more attractive area designed to increase use in the heart of the town centre.

Plans include open space with attractive seating, landscaping and lighting to encourage visitors to remain in the town for longer, and shelter and electricity for the market and other events.

The design requires the removal of three large trees at the High Street end of the square; however the trees are not in the best condition and detract from the overall appearance.

Their removal will open the site to create an impression of space and light and will enable the introduction of a visual entrance to the square from the High Street.

There will also be options for year-round market pitches or other uses of the public area that will provide a more effective use of the car parking area.

Nick Turner, TDC’s Cabinet Member for Commercialisation, Seafronts and Parking said he was pleased that the scheme could now go ahead.

“The original concept for the Millennium Square was a proven success and the new proposed improvements will build on that, helping to promote Walton and the wider District,” he said.

“Public events help to create and sustain community spirit and cohesion as well as provide opportunities for increasing revenue to local businesses and the local authority,” he added.

It is hoped that work will start on the Millennium Square in the autumn of this year.

One of the UK’s largest conservation charities to be launched in recent years was unveiled today by its new patron, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

During a visit to London’s Hyde Park, the Prince formally launched The Royal Parks charity, which supports and manages 5,000 acres of Royal Parks stretching from Greenwich Park in the east to Bushy Park in the west.

As part of his visit to the iconic central London park, the Prince saw the charity’s £5million flagship nursery project. The football pitch-sized glasshouse – currently under construction – will provide about 98 per cent of the 500,000 plants and shrubs needed across the capital’s eight Royal Parks. It also boasts a Wimbledon-style, climate controlled roof – the largest production greenhouse in the UK to use this innovative technology.

The Prince also got to learn more about efforts by The Royal Parks to tackle diseases among its 170,000 trees, visit a giant story-telling snail as part of its £600,000 Mission: Invertebrate programme and ride a carriage pulled by two of the parks’ oldest shire horses, which usually provide education courses and manage grass and bracken.

During a launch reception with staff, volunteers and apprentices, the Prince shared fond memories of visiting Richmond Park with his great grandmother, Queen Mary, and paid tribute to the “unsung and unseen” staff who look after London’s parks.

He said: “The parks I remember as a very small child, being taken around Richmond Park with my great grandmother Queen Mary in her wonderful old, upright green Daimler. As a result, those parks, in particular Richmond Park, are imprinted on my childhood memory in a very special way, which is why I have always felt that children should have the opportunity to experience parks at a young age.

“Today I want to pay special tribute to all those who make these parks what they are. To all the marvellous staff who do all the hard work; grow all the plants; look after this new, swish, all singing, all dancing nursery, and of course all the volunteers and special people who give up their precious time to do so many of the tasks that are absolutely essential. All these people are so often unsung and unseen, and they do matter hugely. A huge thank you, also, to the police who help keep the show on the road.”

The new charity’s chairman, lifelong arts and heritage enthusiast Loyd Grossman CBE, described how he was committed to ensuring the Royal Parks remain the finest parks in the world.

He also welcomed HRH The Prince of Wales as the charity’s patron, saying: “We are absolutely determined that these parks will always remain the best parks in the world for future generations. We are extraordinarily grateful to the Prince of Wales for becoming our first patron, and also for his tremendous knowledge and understanding of what we do, and we are thrilled, delighted and honoured that he is today launching our new charity.

“Nearly 600 years worth of history inspires us, and brings us so much joy; so much pleasure; such an enrichment of life for the 77 million people who visit these parks every year. They are also one of the things which contribute immeasurable to the distinctiveness of London, which is the greatest city in the world, and to the attractiveness of life in our wonderful country.”

Previously the parks had been managed by an agency of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (The Royal Parks Agency) with fundraising and some education undertaken by the Royal Parks Foundation (RPF). Now, the two organisations have joined forces to bring together the best of fundraising, education and park management.

Becoming a new charity will allow the parks to be managed more efficiently, and allow the charity to plan further into the future rather than on a year-by-year basis. It will also put the parks in a stronger position to attract corporate sponsors, private donors, charitable trusts and volunteers.

The British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) is delighted to announce that all three Young Landscape Contractors and their Young Planting Designer partners have achieved medal standard gardens at this year’s RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, including a Bronze, Silver and Gold for their show garden entries for this year’s RHS Young Landscape Contractor competition 2017, which BALI has proudly sponsored for a second year running.

From the three pairs of finalists, the overall Young Landscape Contractor winner for 2017 was Elliott Hood, who was joined by his partner and Young Planting Designer winner Ben Poulter, who were both crowned in front of BBC cameras at a sun soaked awards ceremony from the showground on late Tuesday afternoon. Both Elliott and Ben join last year’s winners Ewan Sewell and Katie Maude as Young Landscape Contractor and Planting Designer winners respectively.

This year’s gardens, centred on a design created by 2016 Young Designer winner Caitlin McLaughlin, once again celebrates the theme of coastal and urban, with the highest levels of quality, technical skill and professional implementation firmly on display, ready to delight and inspire thousands of visitors throughout the week.

‘Chaos to Coastline’, a Gold winning garden built by Young Landscape Contractor Elliot Hood, who partnered up with Young Planting Designer Ben Poulter, impressed judges by providing a functional social space, whilst an innovative water feature, multiple levels and sharp lines contrasted magnificently with a free-flowing planting scheme.

Young Landscape Contractor Karl Crowe and partner Giulio Passarelli’s ‘Let ‘em Grow Urban Retreat’ garden provides a very different take on the brief, bringing together minimalistic intervention and plant management to reinforce the message that any neglected urban site can be improved by adding rich vegetation to any space, including between pavers and cracks in the wall. The Bronze winning garden is both captivating and technically brilliant in serving up a veritable feast of ideas of how an urban retreat for people and wildlife can be created.

The last of the three show gardens was built by Young Landscape Contractor Josh Mcdonnell alongside Anna Rhodes who excelled in her role as Josh’s Young Planting Designer partner. Together they created the beautifully idyllic ‘Arrange: Rearrange Countryside Retreat’ show garden that also pleased judges with its explorative understanding of harvesting plants that celebrates the cycle of growing, cutting, displaying and reproduction.

A shift in construction contracts out of London and into the Midlands will help support a sector experiencing uncertainty amid a prolonged Brexit negotiation in the region.

That’s the view from Crown Group boss Gareth Emberton on a new report which shows major regeneration and infrastructure project work is moving from the capital to the rest of the UK.

Analysts for Barbour ABI and the Construction Products Association says investment in housebuilding, infrastructure and commercial property in Scotland and the West Midlands had the highest growth.

The total value of contracts awarded in London was £13.1bn last year, down 14.6 per cent  on 2015.

Gareth is the managing director of the commercial landscaping specialist Crown Group which works with construction giants including Bowmer & Kirkland and Galliford Try, on projects across the UK.

“There’s no doubt that construction firms are facing numerous challenges currently – such as finding enough people with the right skills and the fact that may are reliant on workers from overseas.

“But one of the biggest issues they may face in the coming months is the effect uncertainty over Brexit will have on decision-making in terms of big project development.

“We saw the slowdown ahead of the referendum and when the economy slows, the construction sector is one of the first hit,” added Gareth, who is also chairman of a regional organisation championing the sector, Shropshire Constructing Excellence.

However the shift to investment in the central part of the country is a good sign, he said: “I think it isn’t just down to HS2, but could also be as a result of the Government’s drive to grow the Midlands economy through the Midlands Engine and the £392m is has invested in the region to do just that.

“There was also some good news in the Queen’s Speech for the sector, which perhaps missed out on bigger headlines due to the Brexit focus.

“As well as the expected HS2 bill which will the construction of the Birmingham to Crewe connection fast-tracked, the Queen also confirmed moves to support more technical training which will undoubtedly benefit our industry. ”

Crown Group is experiencing significant growth in its facilities management and environmental management divisions as well as its core business of delivering integrated design, building and maintenance services for construction and landscaping projects.

The firm has doubled in size in the last year and now employs more than 60 people across the country.

For more information about opportunities available with the Crown Group, visit www.crownlandscapes.com or call 01743 709411.

Meaghan Kombol has been promoted to Associate at landscape architecture practice PLACE Design + Planning.
A Chartered Landscape Architect, she gained her MA in landscape architecture in 2006 and has a great deal of international and national experience, from desert-reclamation projects in Abu Dhabi to residential and school landscapes in the UK.

Meaghan’s designs have been well-received and have won numerous awards and accolades. Her sustainably-driven designs create highly functional, yet aesthetically pleasing spaces, maximising the potential of sites for users and clients. In 2015 she authored a book, published by Phaidon Press, 30:30 Landscape Architecture in which 30 of the most renowned landscape architects explored the work of 30 emerging practitioners of the profession.

24-year-old Ula Maria from Northampton has been awarded a Gold medal and the coveted title of RHS Young Designer at this year’s Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Flower Show Tatton Park.

Returning for its ninth year, the competition’s theme was inspired by ever increasing working hours. Highlighting the creative and mindful benefits of green spaces, three finalists were selected to design a Show Garden to demonstrate what the fusion of garden and office means to them.

Ula’s winning garden ‘Studio Unwired’ was based on a contemporary outdoor hot-desk office within an urban setting. Creating a space that combines tranquillity with a rustic elegance, the garden is designed to transport users out of the crowded and conventional office space into a serene, earthy environment.

On being crowned RHS Young Designer 2017, Ula said: “I’m so happy and incredibly proud to have taken part in this competition. It has been such an exciting and inspirational experience to have the opportunity to do what you really love. I still can’t believe it and I’m so thankful to everyone who helped with the garden.”

Fellow finalist Jake Curley (25) also received an RHS Gold medal for his garden ‘Business and Pleasure’, which was inspired by the New York-style rooftops and highline typical of urban environments. Meanwhile 27-year-old Anca Panait’s ‘Prospect and Refuge’ garden was awarded Silver-Gilt, and offers an enclosed escape from the outside world, using height variations to buffer city noise for a quiet and undisturbed working space.

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park has become synonymous with budding new talent with previous finalists going on to design at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, including Hugo Bugg and Sam Ovens, who also won a Gold Medal at the first ever RHS Chatsworth Flower Show this year. RHS Young Designer 2016 winner Caitlin McLaughlin also secured a Gold medal, working with multi-award winning designer Sarah Eberle on an exhibit for nursery giant Hilliers at RHS Chelsea in May. Finalist Kate Saville and 2015 winner Tamara Bridge created the Jo Whiley Scent Garden as part of the Show’s BBC Radio 2 ‘Feel Good Gardens’.

Continuing the theme of youth in horticulture, the RHS Young Landscape Contractor (supported by BALI) and RHS Young Planting Designer 2017 competition also returned to the show for its second year to challenge Young Landscape Contractors and Young Planting Designers to work together and deliver a Garden showcasing their skills. The 2017 title of RHS Young Landscape Contractor was awarded to Elliott Hood (26), and RHS Young Planting Designer to Ben Poulter (25) for their coastal retreat, ‘Chaos to Coastline Coastal Garden’-.

Tickets are still available for RHS Tatton Park which runs until Sunday 23 July. For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.rhs.org.uk/tatton.

Farnborough Business Park, Chiswick Park in West London, Stockley Park near Heathrow and Liverpool One Shopping Centre were all winners of the world recognised Green Flag Award, with Liverpool One Shopping Centre winning it for its fourth consecutive year and Farnborough Business Park its second.

The Green Flag Awards Scheme is run by the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, it acknowledges to the public that the site boasts the highest possible environmental standard, it is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities.

We at Nurture are committed to working sustainably and have pioneered environmental initiatives to reduce carbon and improve energy efficiency at many of our client sites. We know how much quality green spaces matter, and winning these awards is testament to the consistent dedication and effort put in by our teams to keep these sites maintained to such high standards on a daily basis.

Peter Fane MD commented: “We are immensely proud of the work we do here at Nurture and it is a fantastic achievement that our efforts can be recognised and celebrated through the Green Flag Awards Scheme”.

Aspire Ryde in the Isle of Wight, a thriving hub with a range of projects, received funding from the People’s Health Trust to set up a two-year project, based around community gardening.

Growing Great Things, designed to improve the health and mental well-being of participants, aims to have five groups, each meeting once a week to enjoy working and relaxing in the garden. Activities include sowing seeds, taking cuttings, garden maintenance, planning what to grow and meeting people.

“Those taking part have the opportunity to chat, get to know each other and share their gardening experiences,” said newly appointed project coordinator, Alice Thorp.

“They will find there is nothing more rewarding than harvesting fruit and vegetables they have nurtured from seed, then eating them as part of a delicious meal with friends.”

She said gardening had long been recognised as a therapeutic activity and carrying it out in the context of a friendly, supportive group — people having fun while contributing to the community — would result in improved mental and physical health.

“I know how being in the garden, watching how things have grown each day and having contact with nature, has helped me through difficult times.

“Growing Great Things is an amazing opportunity to share this with others and I have no doubt I will witness participants thriving in our community gardens.”

Alice can be reached at Aspire Ryde on 716020 or alice@aspireryde.org.uk

Photo credit: Jason Swaine

Bayer announced at BTME 2017 that Headland Amenity would become a key partner to help bring the newly launched fungicide ‘Exteris Stressgard’ to the UK market. Containing a brand new chemical group, the first in almost ten years, Exteris Stressgard will feature prominently as part of Headland’s disease control strategy from the summer.

This new SDHI formulation features the brand new active ingredient, Fluopyram, a succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor that interferes with cell respiration, alongside a proven QoI partner, Trifloxystrobin. Labelled for control of Microdochium Patch and Dollar Spot, Exteris Stressgard is effective when applied before, or at the very first signs of disease outbreak. “It is likely moving forward that there will not be any contact, curative chemistry available for turf managers to treat established disease, so more than ever the emphasis must be on prevention,” said Andy Russell, Headland’s sales and marketing director. “A well thought through, integrated approach to preventative disease management, will become even more important to ensure clean surfaces.”

This integrated strategy should utilise different methods to manage disease pressure. Management of key factors such as nutrient inputs, canopy moisture levels and aeration can have a significant effect on disease incidence, and rotation of approved fungicides will reduce the chances of resistance build-up and maintain the efficacy of product applications.

Alongside fungicide application, strategies to affect the environment around the grass plant can have a positive effect on disease reduction. Headland’s 20/20/30 tank mix of plant protectants and elicitors has been shown over the last ten years of STRI trials and field experience, to minimise disease levels when applied as a preventative programme.  Many Headland customers already use the non-pesticidal 20/20/30 programme as a strategy to limit disease alongside a preventative fungicide. As a completely new chemical group Exteris Stressgard will become an excellent partner to this approach, helping to manage turf disease more efficiently.

Self-financing charity The Parks Trust has received a prestigious Green Flag Award for all of the parks, woodlands and lakes it manages and maintains across Milton Keynes. This is the first time a complete network of parks across a whole town or city has been awarded the Green Flag.

This international award, now into its third decade, is confirmation that The Parks Trust’s green spaces across the city are of the highest possible environmental standards, are beautifully maintained and have excellent visitor facilities.

The Parks Trust received the award following a rigorous judging process, which included the submission of a detailed management plan for the full Milton Keynes parks network and a day of visits by the judges to a cross section of different park areas across the city, selected by the judges.

Feedback from the judges was received on all aspects of The Parks Trust’s work, including biodiversity, landscape and heritage, maintenance of equipment, buildings and landscape, and community involvement. David Foster, chief executive, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to receive a Green Flag Award for the parks, woodlands and lakes we manage across Milton Keynes.

“We know how much quality green spaces matter to the city’s residents and visitors, and this award celebrates the dedication that goes into maintaining our parks to such a high standard. In particular it recognises the skills and dedication of our staff, our loyal contractors and many of our volunteers who all play their part in keeping the parks looking good.”

International Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd said: “As Milton Keynes marks its 50^th anniversary, we are delighted that they are raising a Green Flag Award for the first time. The vision of the planners 50 years ago made parks integral to the design and development of the town, and we believe parks are even more important 50 years on. Congratulations to all the staff and volunteers at The Parks Trust, who work tirelessly to maintain the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”

The Parks Trust is among a record-breaking 1,797 UK parks and green spaces that will receive a prestigious Green Flag Award 2017 – the mark of a quality park or green space.

For more information about The Parks Trust please visit www.theparkstrust.com

Global Stone has announced the appointment of Emma Taylor as marketing executive and Madeline Duthie as data input administrator. Due to the continued growth of Global Stone, these newly created roles will support the company in developing its brand further.

Now in its 15th year of business, Global Stone is committed to leading the way with inspirational natural stone and porcelain paving. Its marketing activities strive to highlight its broad product range, quality and exceptional service offering.

Emma brings with her a wealth marketing and business development experience across industries including horticulture and new build property. Working alongside Sara Cullis, marketing manager, Emma’s experience will add new inspiration to Global Stone’s marketing activities across both print and digital as well as support in delivering strategic growth for the future.

Emma commented: “I’m so excited to be a part of a growing brand with great team working and vision for the future. It gives me great pleasure to be part of a company with strong values for delivering an exceptional service and quality paving.”

Maddie joins Global Stone having completed her further education journey. Liaising with suppliers and providing general administration support will be instrumental in growing the company’s team efficiency within its customer-centric organisation.

Maddie commented: “I’m over the moon to have joined Global Stone and be given the opportunity to develop and contribute to a leading company.”

Julian Wood, managing director, commented: “We’re pleased to welcome both Emma and Maddie to our growing team. Their experience and energy are a welcome addition to our experienced team and will contribute to the growing success of our business.”

With the summer holidays round the corner, national community charity, Groundwork is encouraging local communities to have a ‘DIY summer’ future-proofing their local area and promoting the social, economic and environmental benefits of adopting a more sustainable lifestyle.

The charity aims to demonstrate that living and working in a greener way can help people cope better with the challenges of reduced public spending and deliver wide ranging benefits in terms of health, wellbeing and financial security.

The advice is presented in a series of reports and ‘how to guides’ published by a ‘Learning Partnership’ of five organisations with expertise in energy, buildings, land, local community organisations and behaviour change on the back of a five-year programme funded by the National Lottery.

The programme, ‘Communities Living Sustainably’ (CLS) followed 12 communities as they tested a range of activities designed to bring residents together to tackle social issues by promoting for environmentally responsible behaviours with project themes varying from gardens, to food growing, to renewable energy and tackling fuel poverty.

Topics that the guides cover include:

• Meanwhile gardens – temporary community gardens built on unused land to help promote greener, healthier neighbourhoods.
• Strengthening the local food economy – encouraging the growth and distribution of local produce
• Developing flood plans – improving community’s local resilience to flooding and helping to safe-guard vulnerable people and businesses
• Community renewable energy – local people buy shares in a non-profit organisation to finance the installation of renewable energy projects
• Wellbeing walks – encouraging members of the community to exercise while simultaneously getting to know their neighbours
• Upcycling – reducing waste and putting a new lease of life into old and unused clothing and products

The guides offer simple and easy tips for how communities can improve the economic and environmental infrastructure of their local area as well as promoting the benefits of community environmental action, such as saving money, learning new life skills and forming closer relationships with neighbours.

The guides also provide suggestions for what more public bodies and funders could do to help community groups take more control over local assets and services.

The guides are backed by a full report setting out what the 12 communities achieved with their lottery funding and drawing the lessons from what worked – and what didn’t work – to inspire others to get active in their own areas.

The lessons highlight the importance of putting time into local partnership building, recognising that communities have a wide range of concerns that need to be addressed alongside environmental  outcomes and ensuring that communities are able to access support from experts and local authorities.

Graham Duxbury, national CEO of Groundwork said: “Communities Living Sustainably powerfully demonstrated what local community organisations can achieve when they’re given the right support and resources.

“What CLS proved is that there is no shortage of appetite and ideas among communities, but it’s vital that we recognise that communities don’t have all the answers and need support to be able to implement a lasting change in their local area.

“So this summer we want to help inspire and encourage local communities to take more control of their local services and assets and work together to deliver community-led social action that will help to keep the legacy of the programme going for even more local people, all year round.

“With the right encouragement, communities and grass roots groups can tackle deep-seated social issues and wide-ranging environmental challenges. We hope that our learning guides can help provide the spark that encourages more people to achieve their ambitions.”

James Harcourt, England director at the Big Lottery Fund said: “Thanks to funding raised by National Lottery players, people across the country will be inspired to take part in a range of activities to bring their communities together this summer, from developing community gardens to walks that improve wellbeing. It is great to see the Communities Living Sustainably vision in action.”

For more information, please visit: www.groundwork.org.uk/communities-living-sustainably

Students and staff from the charity, Horticap, enjoyed a tour and hands-on work experience at leading horticultural nursery Johnsons of Whixley on Wednesday 12 July.

Horticap’s qualified staff and team of volunteers provide adults with learning difficulties with training in horticulture, allied crafts and rural skills.

The group enjoyed a visit to the board room and a guided tour of the Johnsons nursery site and gained a first-hand insight into operations in the Xpress Cash and Carry division of the business.

The tour was hosted by Johnsons of Whixley chairman John Richardson, who celebrates his 80^th birthday in September, and who still plays an active role in the running of the business.

John said: “We were delighted to welcome the students from Horticap, alongside their excellent supervisors, Phil and Erica, who were also keen to pick up production ideas which might be useful at Horticap.

“I always enjoy talking to visitors, particularly when they are young and motivated by growing plants, and the delight and surprise on the faces of these youngsters as they saw the volumes and variety of large scale production, was wonderful to see.

“As youngsters they were keen to see inside one of our big trucks, which was about to leave for Scotland, and insisted on having their photos taken in the driving seat. It was a totally new experience for all of them.

“Horticap is a truly admirable organisation, and they need, and truly deserve, the support of all our horticultural friends.”

Horticap assistant manager, Phil Airey, said: “We were made to feel so welcome by Johnsons of Whixley. Our students had a great time and learnt a lot about the industry.

“One of our student said afterwards said it was one of the best days he’s had, so we are grateful to Johnsons for hosting us, and for being so supportive of our efforts in general.”

Johnsons of Whixley has provided empty pots to Horticap for many years, whilst also supplying plants and other horticultural products to their charitable projects.

Based in Harrogate, Horticap’s students complete work under supervision throughout their local community.

The charity also raises funds by selling gardening accessories and gifts, as well as perennials, bedding plants and shrubs cultivated by Horticap’s own students and staff.

Johnsons of Whixley Ltd is a family-run plant nursery business based in Whixley, North Yorkshire, first established in 1921 by E.R Johnson, and purchased by current chairman John Richardson in 1964.