IOG Saltex to host the final of World Skills UK landscape gardening

publication date: Aug 22, 2008

 | 

author/source: David Harris

Saltex will again host the annual World Skills UK Landscape Gardening* final. Organised by BALI (the British Association of Landscape Industries) on behalf of UK Skills. The final will involve four teams of two people plus one helper tasked to complete a pre-determined seven metres by seven metres landscape garden project, from scratch, during the three-day show.

The winners from this year’s show will compete alongside the 2007 winning team from Sparsholt College, Hampshire, for the opportunity to progress to WorldSkills 2009 in Calgary, Canada or WorldSkills 2011, London.

This year’s event was preceded during May and June by a series of regional heats contested by a total of 28 teams at Warwickshire College, Chichester College (Sussex), Writtle College (Essex), the Welsh College of Horticulture (Flintshire) and Askham Bryan College (York).

The competition is sponsored by Buildbase, Crowders Nurseries, EverEdge, Geosynthetics, Hirebase, Hoppings, Marshalls, Melcourt Industries, NPTC and Yellow Pages. Commenting, BALI chief executive Sandra Loton-Jones says: "There’s no doubt that IOG SALTEX is the ideal venue for the annual final – you only have to witness how many people actually stop and take a great interest in the fabulous designs these youngsters achieve at the show. The event also allows the exhibition organisers, the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG), to demonstrate the industry’s commitment to skills development.”

Geoff Webb, IOG chief executive, says: “The continued presence of the Landscape Gardening final at IOG SALTEX reflects BALI’s conviction that the show is the UK’s premier event for open space professionals, and it is an invaluable feature of our recently-launched Landscape Village.