There has been a lot of talk in the industry recently about the need to encourage a younger audience into gardening, as an increasingly urban and ageing population continues to pose a significant threat to its future.

Town & Country is wholeheartedly behind the drive to engage a new generation as demonstrated by its latest initiative - the ‘Design a Gardening Glove Schools Challenge.’

The competition has been launched as a pilot scheme across the company’s local area of Leicestershire and is open to all those schools in the region that take part in gardening activities.  There has already been a tremendous response, with dozens of school applying to enter and numerous imaginative designs being sent into the marketing ream at Town & Country’s Bardon head office.

The overall winning design will be turned into a brand new glove, with a pair sent to the pupil responsible, as well as the class teacher, with a view to the gloves being considered for Town & Country’s new product range that will be going into garden centres from September 2016.

Andrea Litchfield, Town & Country marketing executive comments:  “We have been overwhelmed by the response to this schools initiative and it shows that there is a real interest among these youngsters who are already involved in gardening projects through the work that goes on at their schools.  We are looking forward to the judging process and selecting an overall winning design.”

Judging will be taking place in March with the panel including representatives from Town & Country as well as from Leicester City Council’s Environmental Education department.  The overall winner will be announced in due course.

Pictured: Marketing Executive, Andrea Litchfield, with some of the many entries to the Design a Gardening Glove Challenge.