by Holly Chapman | 12 Aug 25 | Nature & Biodiversity, News
For the eighth year, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park hosted its east summer school supporting local communities across a range of creative sessions including biodiversity exploration.
Providing over 300 young people with access to film, dance, fashion, music production, environmental science and biodiversity exploration, the summer school aligns with London’s growth plan ambitions for its inclusive talent strategy.
The strategy promotes a skilled, diverse workforce through access to quality jobs, education and employer-led training in growth sectors while removing barriers to employment.
Over two weeks in July and August, participants had the opportunity to learn about the different ecosystems and habitats of insects with the Royal Entomological Society.
Shazia Hussain, chief executive officer at the parks organisation developers, London Legacy Development Corporation, comments:
“Created to support diverse talent and remove barriers to opportunity, the programme equips young people with the skills, confidence, and networks they need to thrive in London’s evolving workforce.”
The summer school receives funding from East End Community Foundation, in conjunction with organisations from Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s culture and education district.
by Holly Chapman | 26 Jun 25 | International, News, Sustainability
Members of the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) attended this year’s European Nurserystock Association (ENA) summer meeting to discuss trade, skills and sustainability.
The meeting took place in the Czech Republic on 24 and 25 June, following the recent announcement outlining a new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) trade agreement between the UK and Europe.
HTA members left the meeting with “renewed optimism” as delegates across Europe heard how the new SPS agreement is expected to reduce trade barriers and support a smoother flow of plant material between the UK and Europe, while maintaining biosecurity and plant health.
Sally Cullimore, technical and trade policy manager at the HTA says the summer meeting is an “excellent opportunity” for the HTA to represent UK horticultural growers, adding:
“We hope this leads to collaborative efforts like those recently seen to ensure that plant trade is included in the EU-UK Reset announcements.”
Guy Massey, production manager at Joseph Rochford Gardens and HTA’s second representative for ENA says the optimism from the meeting marks a “significant and welcome step forward.”
Massey continues: “the HTA, working with ENA, offers a valuable platform for communication with our European counterparts and can play a role in helping both parties advise and reach clarity on how the agreement will operate in practice.”
The HTA assures that since the meeting, it is committed to enhancing collaborative efforts with Europe, particularly across areas such as the role of peat, retaining skilled workforces and developing digital workflows.
