The Gardens Trust

18/06/2026

💼 We're recruiting for new positions in the Gardens Trust Conservation team to support our role in the English planning system.

🏘️ As a statutory consultee we are required to respond to consultations by local planning authorities on planning applications affecting sites on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. There are two part-time roles to apply for:

• Conservation Officer - 28 hours/week (0.8 FTE)
• Conservation Casework Manager - 7 hours/week (0.2 FTE)

We are a friendly group, highly-motivated to champion historic parks and gardens in the 21st century and welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

🚨 Deadline: Midnight Sunday 9th August

🔗More info: https://thegardenstrust.org/conservation-jobs/

📸: Belhus Park, Essex by James Rudoni, www.rudoniphoto.com

16/06/2026

📢 Announcing this year's winners! 🎖️

We are thrilled to announce the winners of our annual Volunteer Awards, which took place at this year's Volunteer Celebration in Norwich.

Hearty congratulations to:

🏆 Sally Ingram from Sussex Gardens Trust and Gwen Miles from Buckinghamshire Gardens Trust who are this year’s joint winners.

🎖️ Joan Pateman from London Parks and Gardens and Mary ter Braak from Somerset Gardens Trust who each received our Long Service Appreciation Award.

🏅 Gardens Trust volunteers Irene Lucas and Sarah Luton who jointly received Newcomer Awards.

🎁 We were especially thrilled to present our outgoing Treasurer Lisa Watson, a very special gift to thank her for an extraordinary contribution over many years, particularly in setting up the Gardens Trust.

A huge thank you and congratulations to Lisa and all of our incredibly worthy winners!

You can read more about our winners and nominees and the Volunteer Award on our website:

🔗 https://thegardenstrust.org/winners-2026-volunteer-awards/

📸

10/06/2026

🚨 Book your place at our New Town Landscapes conference🚨

🏘️ The Gardens Trust is bringing together academics, developers and policymakers for a two-day conference to ensure the need for green space is central to the Government’s drive for new housing.

The conference will focus on how lessons from the past can meaningfully shape future planning, design, governance, and community life featuring case studies from Europe, the US, the Far East and across the UK.

🗣️ Speakers include representatives from the Landscape Institute, the Royal Town Planning Institute and Historic Environment Scotland, The Parks Trust and more.

🗓️ Weds 23rd - Thurs 24th Sept 2026
📌 Milton Keynes
🚲Includes guided tours of Campbell Park and Great Linford Manor Park, including with an option to travel by bike!

🔗 More info & booking on our website: https://thegardenstrust.org/news

This conference is sponsored by the IHBC and we are delighted to be partnering with FOLAR, The Landscape Foundation and Buckinghamshire Gardens Trust.

📸 David A. Bailey and the Parks Trust.

02/06/2026

📢 Announcing our 2026 Volunteer Award nominees!

Each year we celebrate the hard work, dedication and achievement of volunteers from the Gardens Trust and County Gardens Trusts across the country who have made a difference.

✨ Congratulations to all our nominees ✨

Paul Baker, Warwickshire Gardens Trust
Charlotte Casella, the Gardens Trust
Sally Ingram, Sussex Gardens Trust
Anne Kaile, Somerset Gardens Trust
Irene Lucas and Sarah Luton, the Gardens Trust
Gwen Miles, Buckinghamshire Gardens Trust
Gillian Morgan and Hazel Morris, London Parks and Gardens
Joan Pateman, London Parks and Gardens
Mary ter Braak, Somerset Gardens Trust
Jill Walmsley, Hampshire Gardens Trust

🏆 The winner will be announced at our Volunteer Celebration taking place in Norwich on Friday 12th of June

🔗 Read all about our 12 nominees:
https://thegardenstrust.org/nominations-for-our-2026-volunteer-award/

15/05/2026

15/05/2026

14/05/2026

Did you know that we support garden history research at all levels? 🌱

🏆 Our annual Mavis Batey Essay Prize encourages student research on any subject related to garden history. The prize includes £500 and a year’s membership of the Gardens Trust and is open to any student from any academic institution, worldwide. 🚨Deadline to submit an essay is Sunday 6th September.

📚 We also hold an annual New Research Symposium, open to all which this year is taking place on Saturday 14th November. Stay tuned for updates on tickets or 🚨 Submit an abstract by Friday 3rd July.

Find out more on our website:
https://thegardenstrust.org/what-we-do/

08/05/2026

🚨 There's only one week left to apply to be our new Treasurer - could it be you?

Our new Treasurer will work closely with the Chair and other Trustees to oversee the financial management of the charity and advise on strategic matters during a period of exciting change and development.

This is an important and rewarding role, where you'll be directly helping us to conserve and celebrate historic parks and gardens 🌳

Download an information pack and apply on our website 👇

🔗 https://thegardenstrust.org/be-the-next-treasurer/

06/05/2026

📻 Sutton Lawn hits the airwaves! 🎤

Over the past year we've been helping support local people to uncover the story of Sutton Lawn in Nottinghamshire, not just as a public park, but as the home, textile mill and designed landscape of the Unwin family and other mill owners, from the 1740s to 1903.

We've been enjoying talking to local people about the park and last month hosted a memory café with 14 local residents to record their memories for future generations.

Youth radio station Takeover Radio 106.9FM also dropped in to join us and interviewed Volunteer Support Officer Tamsin McMillan where she spoke about why projects recording the history of our local parks are so important.

Find out more about the Sutton Lawn project and our wider community engagement work on our website 👇

🔗 https://thegardenstrust.org/what-we-do/community-engagement/

The Sutton Lawn project is part of Mill Waters Next Steps, a project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund which celebrates the heritage and nature of the landscapes along the River Maun.

30/04/2026

🌳 Our Chair John Watkins was delighted to attend the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee’s event on Tuesday 21 April, having been pleased to contribute to recommendations on the memorial of Queen Elizabeth II at St James’s Park.

Plans include the installation of figurative sculptures, a replacement bridge and new planting as well as undertaking work to the Marlborough Gates and relocation of the public conveniences, kiosk, gas lamps and The Boy Statue.

The Gardens Trust broadly supports the proposed Queen Elizabeth II memorial in St James’s Park, agreeing it could enhance the historic landscape if carefully designed to respect its significance.

We also made recommendations regarding visitor capacity, ensuring provision of quiet spaces, and the planned meadow-style planting, recommending further refinement to better preserve the park’s character and usability. John Watkins said: “Involvement in consultations like these are a key way we work with others to enhance and protect our parks and gardens for future generations, ensuring that we, and those who come after us, can enjoy the very best we can create and conserve for them.”

🔗 Read more on our website 👇

https://thegardenstrust.org/gardens-trust-consulted-queen-elizabeth-ii-memorial/