Irish Rising Stars are ready to shine in GroMór Campaign The Irish Rising Stars are getting ready to shine following their first Masterclass at Arboretum Garden Centre in Co. Carlow.

They are now revved up and ready to use their new found merchandising and point of sale knowledge to promote GroMór, a nationwide campaign to get Ireland growing.

The campaign aims to make gardening accessible to all and is being implemented in association with Bord Bia. The campaign, running in 65 Retail Excellence Ireland Garden Centres with support from 17 Nursery Growers, offers practical advice on growing, highlighting the many benefits of gardening as a pastime and encouraging novices to dig out their wellies and discover their green fingers.

Keith Nicholson, Marketing Director for Westland Horticulture, a key sponsor of GroMór and driving force behind the Rising Stars programme, said: “The Irish Rising Stars will ensure garden retailers are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to make gardening appealing to all those who walk through their doors during the GroMór campaign.

“Encouraging new and emerging talent is essential for the future of our industry, it brings fresh ideas and inspiration, essential for driving participation in the garden sector.

The Irish Rising Stars takes its learnings from an existing training model that Westland run in the UK, which has been running for six years with exceptional success.”

Keelan Bourke, Member Relationship Manager at Retail Excellence Ireland (REI) Garden Group said: “The Rising Stars training programme will get the very best from garden centre staff, helping them promote the benefits of gardening to a new generation.”

Carol Marks, Development and Marketing Specialist for Bord Bia, said: “We’re really pleased to be supporting this event which promises to develop garden centre staff and enhance involvement in GroMór.”

Picture shows Irish Rising Stars attending their first masterclass at Arboretum Garden Centre in Co. Carlow.