(CLG) £1 million scheme will help green apprentices in London

A £1 million fund to recruit a new generation of green-fingered apprentices to keep England's parks and green spaces growing, is being announced today by Housing Minister Margaret Beckett.

Local councils will invite budding horticulturalists of all ages to apply for a traineeship scheme that will offer them the opportunity to improve their green skills and make sure our towns' and cities' green spaces stay green.

In London, the local authorities in Brent, Camden, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, Lambeth, Newham, Southwark, and Waltham Forest will be looking for people who can prove their gardening prowess and follow in the footsteps of one former green apprentice, Alan Titchmarsh.

As a youngster, Alan was given the chance to train as a green apprentice by Ilkley Council, in Yorkshire. His apprenticeship gave him the opportunity to get involved in an area he was already interested in, but also proved a stepping-stone to a star-studded career in horticulture.

Margaret Beckett will announce the new funding in a speech to leading experts in the green space sector as well as planners, developers and health officials at the ParkCity conference in London.

Mrs Beckett will say:
"These new apprentices will be green ambassadors in their communities, taking responsibility for our parks and open spaces and making sure they are of the highest quality for everyone to enjoy.

"Green spaces and green infrastructure should not be an added luxury. If we really are to tackle climate change, and protect both our environment and our health, green spaces need to be at the heart of our communities.

"We will work closely with planners, developers and experts in the green sector to ensure we have the skills and resources we need to make this happen."

Adding his support for the scheme, Alan Titchmarsh, MBE, said:
"The practical skills provided by apprenticeships are every bit as important as university degrees, especially those involved with the landscape and environment. As a former apprentice myself, I value apprenticeships tremendously and am relieved and delighted that this initiative is under way."

With the public health, environmental and social benefits of green spaces widely known, the new funding comes as part of the Government's drive for more top-quality green spaces through programmes such as the Green Flag Scheme, as well as putting the green agenda at the centre of planning policy and housing growth.

Background
The apprenticeships are open to people of all ages and the 47 local authorities will be managing recruitment to each of their posts.
Alan Titchmarsh's first gardening job was as an apprentice in 1964 at Ilkley Council parks department nursery.

ParkCity is a two-day conference (24-25 March) sponsored by CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) and Natural England, the Government's advisors on urban design and the natural environment. It will focus on the central role of green infrastructure in creating the most successful towns and cities of the future. The event takes place at Dexter House, No 2 Royal Mint Court, Tower Hill, London, EC3N 4QN.