Applications are now open for the second Young People in Horticulture Association (YPHA) Management Development Programme, with a £1,000 subsidy available for each successful delegate thanks to support from the programme's funding partners, bringing the employer contribution down to just £650 for nine days of residential leadership training, including accommodation and meals.

Thanks to funding from Headline Sponsor The Colegrave Seabrook Foundation, together with YPHA, The GCA Trust and the British Ornamentals Association, YPHA has been able to make a level of professional leadership development that would normally be beyond the reach of many horticultural businesses accessible to employers across the industry. The subsidy has been designed particularly to support smaller and independent businesses, helping ensure access to leadership development is not determined by the size of an employer's training budget.

Developed specifically for YPHA members who already hold management responsibility, the programme has been designed to equip emerging leaders with the confidence, practical skills and professional network needed to lead teams more effectively.

Delivered by leadership specialist Lindsay Muir of Cedar Associates, the programme combines structured management training with practical discussion, self-reflection and peer learning, all tailored specifically to the ornamental horticulture industry. Delegates will develop skills in strategic planning, communication, coaching, people management, accountability and personal effectiveness while learning alongside managers from across the industry.

Natalie Boynton, programme lead, said: "One of the biggest successes of the first programme wasn't just the quality of the training, it was the people in the room. Bringing together managers from different businesses, sectors and backgrounds created conversations that challenged people's thinking and gave everyone new ideas to take back into their own workplace. Delegates repeatedly told us that learning alongside people from completely different businesses gave them the confidence to have much more open and honest conversations than they'd experienced on previous management courses, and the network they've built has continued long after the programme finished.

"We were determined to protect that for the second cohort. We want growers, retailers, landscapers, manufacturers and every other part of horticulture represented, because when you bring together people with different experiences, everyone leaves with better ideas than they arrived with."

Liam Cleary, YPHA Founder and a member of the programme's inaugural cohort, said: "The quality of the training has never been something we were prepared to compromise on. Lindsay regularly delivers leadership programmes in country houses and castles, but we'd rather invest every possible pound in exceptional training than luxury venues, even if that means Domino's pizzas and student accommodation. Even without the subsidy the programme represents exceptional value, but thanks to the generosity of our funding partners we've been able to reduce the employer contribution to just £650. 

"Generational family businesses have always been the backbone of British horticulture, yet they're often the least able to access opportunities like this, so we’re once again particularly keen to hear from smaller and independent businesses."

The programme is open to current YPHA members who already hold management responsibility and have not previously undertaken formal management training. Applications are welcomed from every area of horticulture, with YPHA aiming to create a diverse cohort representing different sectors, businesses and career backgrounds.

Priority will be given to applicants from smaller and independent horticultural businesses who may not otherwise have access to formal management training. At least two places will be allocated to retailers and a further two to growers in line with the charitable objectives of the programme's funding partners, with the remaining places open to applicants from any sector of horticulture.

Application forms are available through the YPHA Whatsapp Community and will also go out to members via email. Applications will be assessed by representatives from the Colegrave Seabrook foundation, and the YPHA Ambassador team.   

Applications close at 8.00pm on Friday 21 August 2026, with successful applicants being notified before the end of August.  

For further information, or to request the information pack and application form, please contact admin@ypha.org.uk.