“We are well on the way to realising our objective of gardening and horticulture being a career path for young people who might not have thought of it, had the opportunity to consider it, or are facing challenges within their lives.”

Bernard Williams, Master, The Worshipful Company of Gardeners

Future Gardeners Work Experience Charter

Meaningful work experience is a key component to the Future Gardeners course and is fundamental to supporting our students into long term careers in the industry.  Understanding this, we have created the Future Gardeners Work Placement Charter that sets a benchmark for purposeful and supportive work experience opportunities in the Horticultural industry.

We already have several organisations as signatories including Kew Gardens, Royal Historical Palaces (Hampton Court and Kensington Palace), Grosvenor Estates, Frognal Gardens, Chelsea Physic Gardens and Provender Nurseries.

Championing horticultural careers

In early 2024, our Future Gardeners project team submitted written evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee's inquiry into Education and Careers in Land-based Sectors.

The committee sees MPs look at career pathways into land-based sectors, which cover outdoor jobs like farming and horticulture, how the sector can attract and retain workers, and what its future workforce might look like.

Bankside Open Spaces Trust submitted written evidence to the committee from Louisa Mansfield and Shereen Chung-Blake of our Future Gardeners programme. Our evidence focused on the value of environmental horticulture, its benefits to the economy, and proven track record of tackling inequalities in employment for minority groups and those with disabilities. We asked that environmental horticulture be included in the government’s green jobs and skills definitions and that the value of this sector is recognised. To read more, including a snapshot of our evidence, click here.

Future Gardeners course applications

The Future Gardeners course runs three times a year starting in January, May and September. The course is completely free and runs for 10 weeks - this is part time at two days a week and a two week full-time work placement. Sessions are based at Living Space  (near Waterloo) and Roots and Shoots (near Kennington). The course includes studying for a L1 City and Guilds horticultural qualification plus visits and workdays to other locations across London.

The next course starting in September 2024 is now oversubscribed and we are not taking any further applications. If you are still interested in the course, please fill out the form below and you will be considered for the next course starting in January 2025. We will be in touch with you about the next steps in the application process nearer the course start date. If you have any questions please email futuregardeners@bost.org.uk.

Future Gardeners - partnerships

Bankside Open Spaces Trust has teamed up with The Worshipful Company of Gardeners and the Royal Parks Guild, to deliver the programme. We’d also like to thank the following ​supporters and partners, who help to make our course possible:

The Band Trust, Bankside Hotel, Chelsea Physic Garden, Chiswick House and Gardens, City of London, Eden Project, Fresh Horticultural Careers, Great Portland Estates, Greater London Authority, Grosvenor Estates, Groundscapes, Housing for Women, Hyde Park Nursery, idverde, Jo Thompson Garden Design, Love London Working, Miria Harris Design Limited, National Trust, Peer Group PLC, Rochfords, Roots and Shoots, Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, Royal College of Physicians, Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), St. John’s Churchyard, The Barbican Conservatory, The Birrane Foundation, The Charterhouse Gardens, The Gardener’s Guild, The Henry Smith Charity, The Horlock Education Trust, The Landscape Show, The Westway Trust, Urban Growth, Walworth Garden, Wandsworth Prison and those who wish to remain anonymous.