The Colegrave Seabrook Foundation support students studying Horticulture at UK colleges and universities. Working with the Blue Diamond group of garden centres based in the Channel Islands, the charity have scholarships available for students who can demonstrate their passion, interest and potential in the horticultural industry.
Whether you need some financial support to help with costs of living, purchase of course materials, fees, travel costs or something as specific as the purchase of a new laptop, there could be support available to you from one of the bursaries run by the Colegrave Seabrook Foundation. Applications for the coming season of scholarships have recently opened, including the popular Blue Diamond Scholarship.
Alan Roper, Managing Director of Blue Diamond said of these scholarships: “Peter Seabrook was one of the people who inspired me to my career as a horticulturalist, so we are really pleased to offer these scholarships through the Colegrave Seabrook Foundation to help students studying horticulture.
"At Blue Diamond, through the diligent work of the great team of people we have, we are in the fortunate position where we can help students grow their own career. We are really pleased to be able to share our passion for plants with others. Plants are an increasingly important part of everybody’s lives every day and whether you are gardening at home or taking up horticulture as a career Blue Diamond are here to help.”
To be eligible for consideration and successful in being granted a scholarship, students need to demonstrate their commitment to making a career within the industry through their application. Bursaries of up to £2,500 are available.
Anna Ciborowska a student, now in her third year of studying for an HND in Horticulture with Plantsmaship, a course run jointly by Scotland’s Rural College and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, was one of the seven recipients of a Blue Diamond Scholarship in spring 2022 said: “The second year of my career change and of my current programme of study has been exceptionally rewarding. I have learned to identify grasses, the principles of garden design, managing plant collections, how to propagate ferns from spores and the foundations of genetics for plant science amongst many other things. The Blue Diamond scholarship has helped me with my course by reducing financial pressures I experienced as a mature student returning to university. Using the scholarship for part of the course fees I have also been able to allocate less time to paid work and more time to deepening my learning. In short, I’ve been better able to focus on building my future career in horticulture.”
Full details are on the Foundation website along with important information relating to the other scholarships available to students. Colegrave Seabrook Foundation website www.colegraveseabroofoundation.org.uk Applications can be submitted between now and the 31st of January 2023 for awards which will be made in March 2023.
Pictured: Student Anna Ciborowska, preparing a Begonia maculata leaf for a micro propagation at a Plant Propagation class as part of her studies at Scotland’s Rural College.
