Our aim is to help schools and parents encourage children to love gardens and landscapes, and to learn about where our food comes from.
Each year we raise money from our Annual Lecture which, together with donations from members, enables us to support these visits.
The members of the education subgroup all have practical experience in education and cover all levels from nursery to higher education.
We want to foster, in children and young people, an appreciation of the parks, gardens and landscape around them. To this end, we provide primary school children with the experience of a day in a beautiful setting such as the Leicester Botanic Garden. Here, they have the opportunity to see where their food comes from and how it is produced, whilst enjoying a variety of natural habitats all within a wonderful garden.
Each year we make an award to the student at Brooksby and Melton College who is considered to have made the most progress in their horticulture course.
Applications are invited from schools in Leicestershire & Rutland to be considered for a day at Leicester Botanic Garden. Please download and complete the form below.
Education Application Form Download
Please note that an application cannot be considered unless the form is completed and submitted.
Education News
Leicestershire and Rutland Gardens Trust Brooksby Award 2024
L to R: Sue Blaxland (Gardens Trust), Michelle Thom (Brooksby Lecturer for Apprenticeship Programme) Connor Thompson (student award recipient) Connor Thompson is this year’s recipient of the Gardens Trust Brooksby Award. Connor, who is an apprentice with Leicester City Council’s Parks and Gardens Team, attends College on day release and has made exceptional progress on his horticulture course. He plans to spend his £150 Award on top quality gardening tools to use at work: secateurs…
2023 St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Loughborough visit to the Botanical Gardens
Make and eat your own fruit kebab – by far the most popular activity! Discovering new foods in the tropical greenhouse Searching for pond life – all pupils showing a keen interest Extract from the thank you letter from Priscilla Jordan, Head Teacher “Thank you to all who were involved in the trip.The year 5 class had a brilliant day and I am very grateful for the opportunities it gave them“ It was a splendid…
2023 Brooksby Melton College Horticultural Award
Ben Freeston Silva is this year’s recipient of the Trust’s Brooksby Student Award. This £100 bursary is given to the student who has made the most progress on their course and has shown dedication and determination to succeed. Ben first discovered that he enjoyed gardening when he went on a week’s work experience in Evington Park, Leicester. It was on the recommendation of a friend that he applied to Brooksby Melton College. He has now…
Netherhall Special School project update
The willow arch at Netherhall School, partly-funded by the Leicestershire and Rutland Gardens Trust, has now been planted. Steve Pickup, of The Willowbank Company, who installed the willow domes which are already on site, returned to plant the willow arch. Jane Hauton, the teacher in charge of the project, said “Steve planted in torrential rain, which was excellent service”. The willow arch provides another sensory experience for the students, and is an extension of the…
Netherhall School project update
These photos show the preparation for the planting of the first row of willow for the willow arch at Netherhall School. See background to this project here.
Visit to Netherhall Special School.
Netherhall is a special school catering for around 120 pupils from age 4 to 19, who have severe/profound/multiple learning difficulties. Over the last 4 years, Jane Hauton, the teacher in charge, has led a project to create an outdoor learning space on a field adjacent to the school. There are many things going on in different parts of this space, including five tree areas, two wildflower meadows, and many different wildlife habitats. There is a…
Completed Sensory Garden at Millgate School
7 July 2022 Dear Leicestershire and Rutland Gardens Trust I am writing to you to offer our sincere thanks for your support in our recent Sensory Garden project at Millgate School. The project is now complete, and we would not have been able to get to this point without your support. We have transformed what was once an empty area of mud into a garden, with five flower beds, two small ponds and a seating…
2022 LRGT Brooksby Melton College Horticultural Award
Fred receives his award from Sue Blaxland (right) LRGT Secretary. Also pictured is Lil Hammond, Lecturer in Horticulture at Brooksby College, who was Fred’s tutor. Fred Mobey is the recipient of this year’s LRGT Horticultural Award. Fred has spent four years studying at Brooksby. Undecided on a definite career path, he first took a course on Countryside Management. While studying, he realised that the modules he enjoyed most were on plant life, especially trees and…
Glen Hills Primary School, Glen Parva, Leicester
Glen Hills Primary School, Glen Parva, Leicester has been awarded a grant of £101.40. This was to help with watering cans, canes, gloves and compost. In the past an excellent school garden has been neglected at Glen Hills Primary School, Glen Parva. through the lack of a committed gardener and funds. However with the help of two Teaching Assistants a small groups of students have already begun to spend 3 sessions a week growing vegetables…