Landscape & Urban Design Issue 17 2016 | Page 15

Participating schools & their mentors from Squire’s & the RHS • Sir William Perkins School, Chertsey – mentored by Tom Cardrick, Plant Area Manager at Squire’s Woking • Notre Dame School, Lingfield (2 teams) – mentored by Peter Mitchell, Assistant Centre Manager and Mike Kelly, Plant Area Manager at Squire’s Crawley • Surbiton High School (2 teams) – mentored by Phil Hadler, Plant Area Manager at Squire’s Long Ditton, and Marc Andre, Bedding Department Head at Squire’s Shepperton • Tiffin School, Kingston – mentored by Steven Guy, Plant Area Assistant at Squire’s Twickenham • Bishop Wand, Sunbury – mentored by Louise Jackson, Houseplant Department Head at Squire’s Twickenham • Farnham Heath End School, Farnham – mentored by Katie Bennalick, RHS Wisley Curatorial Team. • Bishop David Brown School, Woking – mentored by Chris Young, RHS Community Outreach Advisor for London • Wallington Girls School, Wallington – mentored by Michele Coe-O’Brien, Retail Team Leader at RHS Wisley Plant Centre • St Bede’s School, Redhill (2 teams) – mentored by Michaela Freed, Senior Team Leader at RHS Wisley Plant Centre and Lisa Waters from RHS Wisley Curatorial Team. The four winning schools were awarded “The Secondary School Challenge is a Sarah Squire (Squire’s Deputy Chairman) a Raspberry Pi time-lapse photography fantastic opportunity for children to work commented “This programme has been kit and gardening vouchers, whilst with the RHS, which has some of the best so successful that the RHS are considering the children received a selection of horticulturists in the world, and gain launching similar projects in other parts carnivorous and cactus plants to take invaluable insight into the diversity and of the country next year. We want to home. importance of the horticulture industry.” encourage more secondary school Kay Clark, RHS Community Outreach "We chose to partner with Squire’s Garden the horticultural industry really is, and to Manager, said: “The RHS does a huge Centres as they are passionate about realise that there are fantastic and very amount of work to ensure primary school plants and about introducing horticulture diverse career opportunities at companies children have access to the educational to young people – Squire’s staff have really like Squire’s Garden Centres.” and wellbeing benefits of horticulture. helped ignite the children’s passion for We are committed to school children, gardening.” children to become aware of how great If you are interested in a career in whatever their age, having access to horticulture visit: horticulture, and that is why we launched www.squiresgardencentres.co.uk/careers the Secondary School Challenge.” Landscape & Urban Design Issue 16 17 15