GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR ASPIRING ALPINE AND ROCK GARDEN STUDENTS

[Maggi Young]

Updated link from Nick Courtens :

"New blog on my visit to Edinburgh Botanic as part of the Diana Aitchison Fund"
http://nickcourtens1.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/royal-botanic-gardens-edinburgh.html

[Maggi Young]

Matt Topsfield is the new Administrator of the Diana Aitchison Grants for SRGC - his contact details are:

Matthew Topsfield
12 Rhugashinish, Isle of South Uist HS8 5PE
07775 812036
mtopsfield@icloud.com

[Maggi Young]

Good news that the Grants for Horticulturists website  has now got an update and new home  with the Chartered Institute of Horticulture....   https://www.horticulture.org.uk/grants/

Awards ( grants/bursaries)  are available for all working gardeners: there is no age discrimination, nor restriction by qualification or membership to a particular organization from the Professional Gardeners' Trust  here : http://pgtrust.org/

The MacRobert Trust  is  another  organisation with  horticultural  training and grant possibilities :
http://www.themacroberttrust.org.uk/grant-making/horticultural-training-scheme/

[Maggi Young]

SRGC has  a great record of  assisting  students with grants to attend  the Royal Botanic Garden  Edinburgh
 ( amongst other  places of  study, of course!) so it is with pleasure that we learn of the  new  placement  at RBGE  Alpine  Dept. being offered  by the Alpine Garden Society.
Congratulations to RBGE  and the  AGS for this initiative. You can learn more - as well as how to apply, here :
 http://www.rbge.org.uk/about-us/news/stories/alpine-garden-society-to-fund-trainee-placement-at-the-royal-botanic-garden-edinburgh

The SRGC is also pleased to offer free student membership of  the Club to those students of horticulture with an interest in alpine plants.
It is  terrific that our organisations do as much as possible to  encourage  students into  "our" field.

It may be worth  reminding  people here of the  CI Hort.  links to sources of student grants - https://www.horticulture.org.uk/grants/

[Maggi Young]

Interesting Twitter posts  from Paul Egan,  an Ecologist at SLU (Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences), visiting Professor  at AFU (Agriculture and Forestry University)
Nepal | Basic & applied EcoEvo (pollination, herbivory), climate adaptation, agri-development.

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"Now 10 years since I first stumbled across this beauty hiding in plain site, around 4000m. A Himalayan poppy later described as Meconopsis autumnalis - provided the push to intimately aquaint with #taxonomy.

This also would not have happened were it not for the belief of various Ecological and Horticultural societies in the value of funding undergraduate projects.
Hardy Plant Society, AGS, Scottish Rock Garden Club, Linnean Society, British Ecological Society and others ...."

[Maggi Young]

For Students who have a declared interest in  alpine plants we can offer a free electronic membership for the duration of their  course of study - those wishing to take  up this offer should email to this address detailing their place of study,  course undertaken and duration and register in preparation for the  online electronic subscription. They will be contacted when their membership is authorised. 

[Maggi Young]

Update   from Diana Aitchison Fund :

We are still accepting applications to the DA Fund. We receive many applications for learning support from home students in the UK, which haven't been affected to the same degree as foreign placements. For those applications that include foreign travel, we have awarded the funds but delayed payment of the grant until we receive confirmation that such can go ahead safely and in line with relevant guidelines etc.


Matthew Topsfield

SRGC Diana Aitchison Fund Administrator

13b Aird, Isle of Benbecula HS7 5LT
07775 812036
mtopsfield@icloud.com

[Maggi Young]

DIANA AITCHISON FUND

This fund, in memory of nurserywoman Diana Aitchison, awards grants and
bursaries to support younger people who wish to pursue or further a career in
horticulture and can demonstrate an interest in furthering their knowledge of
alpine and rock garden plants. The DA Fund is still accepting and determining
applications for activity that can be undertaken at a future date when COVID-19
restrictions will permit, or for activity which can take place whilst restrictions are
in place, so applicants should continue to apply.

For application forms and awards criteria please go to:
srgc.net/site/index.php/extensions/grants or contact the Fund Administrator:
Matthew TOPSFIELD, 07775 812036, mtopsfield@icloud.com.

[Maggi Young]

Announcement January 2021 from the Merlin Trust

"It was a difficult decision but the Merlin Trust has decided to suspend all grants until September 2021. While we will review this decision throughout the year, we hope to open applications for UK-only travel in September - with new awards available."

http://merlin-trust.org.uk