Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST) has been approved as a City & Guilds centre to deliver the Level 1 Practical Horticulture qualification, marking a major new chapter for its award-winning Future Gardeners programme.

The new City & Guilds approval means BOST can deliver and assess the Level 1 Practical Horticulture qualification as part of its own training provision.

This announcement comes as Future Gardeners recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, having supported hundreds of people from diverse backgrounds to develop practical horticultural skills and find routes into employment, apprenticeships and further training across London’s horticultural sector.

76% of Future Gardeners who complete the programme are now working in horticulture, with graduates going on to work in some of London’s leading gardens and green spaces, including Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Chelsea Physic Garden.

Louisa Mansfield, programmes manager for Future Gardeners, said:

“We are incredibly proud to have been approved by City & Guilds to deliver the Level 1 Practical Horticulture qualification. It is a significant milestone for Future Gardeners and recognises the quality and rigour of the practical training we have been delivering for the past decade.

“What makes Future Gardeners different is that we don’t just teach horticulture in a classroom. Our students learn by working in real gardens, alongside experienced horticulturists, while gaining an understanding of what it takes to build a career in the sector.”

Charlotte Gilsenan, BOST CEO

“The approval to deliver a City & Guilds qualification is an important achievement for BOST and for Future Gardeners. It demonstrates our commitment to providing high-quality training and creating genuine routes into employment.

“As we celebrate ten years of the programme, we are proud of what has been achieved so far but we are even more excited about what comes next.”