The David Colegrave Foundation is offering multiple scholarships to those people determined to have a career in horticulture.
As the UK’s only charitable body dedicated to supporting horticultural students, the DCF works hard to give green scholars a means to achieve their goals by awarding successful candidates with funding and work experience.
Opportunities are also open to ex-students who are in the early days of their horticultural career or wannabe gardeners looking to move into the horticultural industry.
Jeff Colegrave, chairman of both the DCF and Floranova, the Norfolk-based flower seed breeding company, said: “The DCF aims to support the development of the UK’s ornamental horticulture industry by supporting our potential future sector leaders through encouragement, valuable business experiences and financial backing.”
The four scholarships currently up for grabs are:
Markham - Colegrave International Scholarship - This scholarship, which is funded jointly with the US based Ed Markham Scholarship Fund, works as an annual exchange programme between the UK and US/Canada. Once a year $4,500 USD (approx. £2850) is awarded to a current or recent horticultural student for the opportunity to organise a work placement in a horticultural business. Current applications support a UK candidate to go to US/Canada during the summer of 2014.
Garden Centre Group Scholarship - Supported by the Garden Centre Group (GCG), the UK’s largest chain of independent garden centres, this scholarship goes to students who have a keen interest in pursuing a career in garden centre retailing. Each year, The Garden Centre Group will fund two student scholarships worth £1,500 each as well as offering paid weekend and/or holiday work in a GCG garden centre.
Floranova Ornamental Horticulture Research Scholarship - Awarded by Floranova, Britain’s only remaining flower seed breeding company, this scholarship offers an annual prize of £1,500. It is designed to encourage the development of important skills in R&D and is awarded to a student with proven merit who is keen to pursue a research career in the horticultural industry. A work experience opportunity at Floranova will also be made available.
Ball Colegrave Scholarship - Ball Colegrave, the UK’s leading distributor of seed and young plants to commercial growers, supports an annual award of £2,500. The scholarship enables an employee in the early stages of their career at a commercial Bedding Plant Nursery to fund travel to Europe in order to develop their knowledge and experience in bedding plant production and marketing.