TRUSTEE

Stephen is Head of Horticulture for the United States Embassy in London where he has worked since 1987. He is a committee member of the London Gardens Network; he champions apprentices and is an RHS Britain in Bloom judge. He is also an RHS Show garden judge and a selection panel member and was elected an RHS Associate of Honour for services to horticulture in 2017.

TRUSTEE

Having changed career from architecture to horticulture, Stephen worked for 10 years as Head Gardener at The Beechgrove Garden before joining The MacRobert Trust as Head of Gardens where he manages the Trust’s ornamental and productive gardens. He also manages The MacRobert Trust Horticultural Training Scheme and is proud of the growing MacRobert alumni of professional gardeners working across Scotland and beyond. He is also a committee member of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture and a Trustee with Scotland’s Garden Scheme.

TRUSTEE

Simon is Head of Gardens & Grounds for Worcester College Oxford. Simon leads a team of eight gardeners and is responsible for the development and maintenance of the 26 acre grade-II* garden and sports ground. Simon’s passion for historical gardens, horticultural craftsmanship and plants also sees him work as a consultant and mentor.

TRUSTEE

George is the Green London Curator at the Garden Museum, organising monthly talks about the many niches of gardening, parks and green infrastructure in the city. He also writes a weekly column in the Evening Standard targeted at London gardeners. Formerly he delivered the level 2 horticulture course at Walworth Garden.

TRUSTEE

Former Awards Manager, Helen works as a self-employed gardener and garden advisor and was Alpine and Woodland Supervisor at the University of Cambridge Botanic Garden for eight years

TRUSTEE

Natasha is a garden writer, editor and author of illustrated guides for garden lovers. She writes for publications including Gardens Illustrated, House & Garden and Country Life and also curates the Beautiful & Useful craft fairs at the Garden Museum and at Sussex Prairie Gardens.

TREASURER

Thys is a Chartered Accountant, originally from South Africa, who has been calling the UK his home since 2011. He has held many finance roles at major corporations. He enjoys informal gardening and attending to his allotment.

AWARDS MANAGER

A former beneficiary of the PGT, Adrian is a Horticultural Advisor with the RHS. National Plant Collection Holder of Actaea simplex cvs., Saxifraga fortunei cvs., and Veronica spp. (Parahebe).

TRUSTEE

Bertie is a former beneficiary of the PGTrust and currently works in the Alpine and Streamside department at RHS Harlow Carr. He has worked in horticulture for over a decade in such gardens as Birmingham Botanical Gardens, National Trust's Hidcote Manor, and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Before his current role, Bertie previously managed William Shakespeare's historic gardens.

TRUSTEE

Another former Awards Manager, Mercy works for PlantNetwork and holds a National Plant Collection of Chlorophytum comosum CVS. A lot her time is taken up trying to stop her cat eating the NPC and taking over Zoom meetings. When not doing the above she likes to run, cycle and swim .

TRUSTEE

Kate Nicoll retrained from working as a BBC Radio Producer to become a gardener back in 2000 via the WRAGS scheme in Oxfordshire. She then became a WRAGS co-ordinator for Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire whilst working as a Head Gardener on a local estate and running her own cut flower and bulb nursery. In 2009 she left WFGA and joined the National Trust as the “Walled Gardener” at Attingham Park in Shropshire, becoming Senior Gardener soon afterwards, in charge of the restoration of a 2 acre kitchen garden. During that time she employed six WRAGS trainees, all of whom completed their training successfully. She left Attingham in 2015 to become the National Trust’s Garden Training Specialist, running training courses and gardening apprenticeships nationwide for five years.

Kate is now working as a freelance Garden Consultant and trainer. She has returned to WFGA as the Regional Manager for North Wales, Shropshire and Cheshire, and is now Workshop Coordinator for an Erasmus+ project entitled Craft Skills for Garden Conservation: https://gardenconservation.eu/

She runs webinars and practical workshops on the horticultural skills needed in the heritage sector for a consortium of gardens and colleges in Norway, Sweden, Germany, UK and Holland.

TRUSTEE

Gemma Sturges, Kitchen Garden Supervisor at Audley End House and Gardens, has been working at Audley End since 2011.

Beginning with a placement as an English Heritage trainee she subsequently gained skills, knowledge and experience in heritage gardening and the management of historic kitchen gardens. Since then, Gemma has climbed the ladder to Gardener, Senior Gardener and current position to Kitchen Garden Supervisor.  Alongside working with flowers, fruit and vegetables developing a strong interest in the organic principles of horticulture, in particular soil management and is keen to promote the significance of historic interpretation and the development of heritage gardening skills in a public settling utilising traditional and forward-thinking techniques.

HON SECRETARY

CHAIR