This year’s BALI Chalk Regional Students of the Year has been officially announced after a record number of applicants.

The Fund says it received 65 entries from 12 supporting colleges, which “celebrate the achievements, positivity, progress and dedication of this year’s landscape cohort.”

With greater applicant numbers comes great deliberation for the trustees panel. Nine students in total have been chosen.

BALI Chalk Fund Top Student of the Year Awards for achievement, professionalism and excellence in Landscape and Horticulture 2026:

• SAMUEL COLLINS: Yorkshire & North East Regional Winner, University of Sheffield
• JOSH CROUCH: South Thames Regional Winner, Merrist Wood College
• JILL DOYLE: Scotland Regional Winner,  SRUC Oatridge College
• FINLAY LISK: South West Regional Winner, Wiltshire College
• JOSEPH LYNCH: Midlands Regional Winner, Pershore College
• STEVE PARTRIDGE: North Thames Regional Winner, Capel Manor College
• DAVID THOMAS: Wales Regional Winner, Bridgend College

BALI Chalk Fund Top Student of the Year Awards for achievement, professionalism and excellence in Garden Design:

• CAROLINE BAILEY: South Thames Regional Winner, London College of Garden Design
• ISOBEL CURRAN: South West Regional Winner, Cornwall College

Sarah Seery, former head of horticulture and landscape at Capel Manor College, who managed the process and assessment of all applications, comments on the awards:

“The standard and quality of the applications this year continues to give us confidence and reassurance that the support we [BALI Chalk] offer is making a difference. Whatever route they take through their academic development, these highest achieving students don’t just get there through their everyday learning – it’s how they put this into practice in the real world that makes them stand out.”

Each student selected will be presented with their certificate and a £100 prize. All regional winners will go forward into the National Student of the Year Awards announced in September 2026.

BALI Chalk Fund are also hosting an open mic night on 1 October for the landscaping industry.