RHS announces first Flourish Fund recipients

RHS announces first Flourish Fund recipients - RHS

£150,000 fund to increase accessibility to horticultural careers

Community plots in Edinburgh, herbal tea gardens in London and a city farm in the heart of Bristol are some of the initiatives receiving a cash boost from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) as it unveils the first beneficiaries of its new Flourish Fund.

The gardening charity has today announced recipients of its fund aimed at attracting budding gardeners into a career in horticulture, with a particular focus on under-represented communities.

The twelve organisations from across the UK will share £150,000, enabling them to grow their training and development offerings, benefitting more people and helping to pave the way for a career in horticulture. It is thought that around 650 people will benefit directly from RHS funding.

Organisations set to grow their offering this year include Hackney Herbal in London who will offer six positions at its publicly accessible herb garden; St Werburghs City Farm in Bristol who will pilot an Urban Growers Scheme and deliver training and skills workshops; and Edible Estates in Edinburgh, where 80 people will benefit from their community food hubs partnered with local food banks.

The 12 recipients of the RHS Flourish Fund in 2021 are: Bankside Open Spaces Trust (London), Birmingham City Council, Core Arts (London), Edible Estates (Edinburgh), Grow (Sheffield), Hackney Herbal (London), National Botanic Garden Wales, R-evolution (Hull), St Werburghs City Farm (Bristol), Surrey Docks Farm Provident Society (London), Walworth Garden (London) and Young Enterprise Scotland (Glasgow).

Chris Moncrieff, RHS Head of Horticultural Relations, said: “We are very pleased to announce the first tranche of grants aimed at improving the accessibility of horticultural careers. The RHS Flourish Fund will provide much-needed financial support to enable groups already doing fantastic work in their communities to grow their offering. More than ever, people are looking at gardening as a career option and this scheme is intended to ensure everyone can benefit from the opportunity.”