The PGG Trust Appeal.
The UK and Ireland boast some of the world's finest gardens, a heritage built upon centuries of creative design and enriched by plant collections from all over the world. These gardens are
looked after by dedicated, professional gardeners, most of whom have spent a lifetime in their chosen career.
Despite this, and the surge in popular interest generated by the media, the gardening profession faces threats that put its entire future at risk. These threats quite simply are the lack of people, especially younger people, entering the profession and the decline in workbased practical training. These are set against a background of gardens needing ever higher standards of presentation in order to boost visitor numbers. All categories of garden increasingly need to generate additional income streams and the professional gardener has to be part of that process. Yet the number of skilled gardeners able to meet these demands is falling. There is a critical need to provide funding opportunities for training, both to encourage those entering the profession and to raise skill levels of existing gardeners to meet the increasing demands made upon them.
The Professional Gardeners' Guild has recognised the need for training and the lack of funding available through existing bursary funds. It also recognises the need to be a step ahead of trends and the public's interest in gardening. The Trust was set up in 2004 specifically to meet these challenges by providing financial assistance to working professional gardeners, to help them gain knowledge and additional qualifications. This is achieved through recognised courses and working seminars which enhance gardeners' own careers by giving them a broader skill base whilst raising the status of gardening as a profession. The existence of such funding, we believe, will encourage more people into the profession.
We need your help to raise £250,000...
As a fledgling charity, our funds are extremely limited. We receive a modest annual contribution from the Professional Gardeners' Guild membership but we must stand on our own two feet. We can only do this by building up a capital fund to generate income that we can distribute. Because we have limited funds at the moment, your help can make a very big difference to what we can do.
Please support us so we can play our part in meeting the challenges that face the gardening profession.
You can help by:
- Making a donation to augment our annual income (as a tax payer your donation will be worth more to us as a gift aid)
- Contributing a lump sum to our capital fund
- Sponsoring a bursary fund to be used for a specific aspect of training
- Providing a legacy
- Putting suitable applicants in touch with us
Contact details:
If you would like to help us by making a donation, or for further information, please contact us as follows:
PGG Trust Appeal
Anna Matthews
2 Springdale Cottages
Partridge Lane
Wadhurst TN5 6LB
Email: appeal@pgg.org.uk
Telephone 01892 783478
The Professional Gardeners' Guild Trust is a registered charity Number 1101169
