Helping Hand for Youth of Yorkshire

The Peter Sowerby Foundation has handed a £200,000 grant to the RHS to help young people in Yorkshire receive horticultural training and increase employability.

The programme will be delivered over a 3 year period and will create opportunities in community –based settings across the county. Traditionally, horticultural learning has taken place at land-based colleges.

Primarily aimed at young people in the 16-25 age bracket, it is hoped that the grant will extend to offer opportunities for people of all ages. The scheme is designed to equip young people with practical skills and create opportunities for learning, relevant to employability.

As part of a wider RHS investment in Yorkshire, it is hoped that the grant will help plug the skills gap in the horticultural sector. By the end of the three years, the investment should create nine permanent learning centres and 650 training opportunities.

Image courtesy of Economist Educational Foundation.