RHS School Gardening Champion of the Year 2019
Supported by Hartley Botanic
Nominations for School Gardeners of the Year 2019 are now closed.
We'll announce our finalists and winners soon.
Our School Gardening Champion of the Year will be an adult (teacher, gardening club leader, volunteer etc.) who is an inspiration to the pupils they teach and has shown a passion for encouraging gardening in their school, as well as linking gardening to the curriculum.
This year we are delighted to be supported by Hartley Botanic who have donated a patio glasshouse to the winner of this category.
Prizes:
All entries will receive a printed certificate.
Each of the selected finalists and their schools will be asked to create and submit a nomination video which will be watched by Frances Tophill and RHS judges.
Following the judging, each finalist will receive £250 in National Garden Gift Vouchers for their school. The finalists will also win a free place on a Campaign for School Gardening training course and be awarded an engraved hand trowel trophy and framed certificate.
The winner (selected from the four finalists) will be awarded all of the above, as well as a patio glasshouse from Hartley Botanic (see below), a visit from a VIP to their school and two adult and up to four child tickets for either Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2020 or RHS Tatton Park Flower Show 2020. The winner’s school will also receive £100 worth of seeds and an extra £250 in National Garden Gift Vouchers, a total of £500.
All winners and finalists will also be invited, along with two extra guests, to RHS Garden Wisley for a prize-giving ceremony in June 2019.
About last year's winner: Matthew Willer
Matthew’s passion for the environment, sense of teamwork and desire to create a space for young people to escape the day-to-day pressures of secondary school, has inspired all those who work with him. Despite being a group tutor and full-time history teacher he is totally committed to leading 'The Allotment Project', described by the headteacher as "one of the most educationally complete pieces of work I have ever seen in schools".
You can watch his nomination video and read what some of our judges said about him here.