1. The CGS Educational Bursary

1. This Bursary offers financial support of up to £350 for applicants residing in Cornwall to gain the skills and knowledge requisite for entering and progressing within the horticultural profession, for example:

• To support professional gardeners to attend courses, training, conferences or study tours to enhance their skills and knowledge, and to support their career development.
• To support horticultural students to attend conferences, study tours or garden research that add value to their studies and/or their envisaged career progression.
• To support individuals to gain accredited qualifications (for example, Royal Horticultural Society qualifications) where horticulture is intended to become a main source of income.

A written report is required from recipients detailing their experience and the benefits for their studies or career, which may be published in the CGS newsletter, annual journal or website.

2. Smaller grants of up to £100 for the purchase of books and materials relevant to specific projects or course study, for example:

• Specialist books for horticultural professional relevant to currant role or envisaged project.
• Books that support individual research.
• Course materials that may be required for study units.

A book review or written report would be required. All awards are intended to assist those experiencing financial barriers to horticultural career entry or career development, or to independent research in a relevant field. Applications may be made at any time.

2. The CGS Schools Bursary

The CGS offers bursaries of up to £350 for schools in Cornwall, to encourage the development of gardens and interest in horticulture from a young age. Some examples of school projects offered grants include:

• Creating school kitchen gardens, growing vegetables fruit and flowers
• Building a school sensory garden.
• Landscape improvements to school grounds including garden and seating for outdoor teaching.

A written report is required from recipients detailing their experience and the benefits for their studies or career, which may be published in the CGS newsletter, annual journal or website.

The CGS also offers smaller grants of up to £100 for the purchase of books and materials relevant to specific projects or study of plants and gardens in schools, for example:

• Books to encourage children to garden.
• Books about trees and plants.
• Materials specific to the project.

All awards are intended to assist schools to inspire young horticulturalists and gardeners.

3. The Thistledown Horticultural Bursary

This bursary provides financial support for a wide range of horticultural projects both in the UK and overseas. The grants available are discretionary, and dependent on the type of project or research.

Examples of the types of projects eligible for funding:

• Expeditions for plant exploration and collection.
• Study tours to see plants in Amenity situations or their native habitats.
• Voluntary work placements in leading botanic and historic gardens.
• Conferences: attendance and participation.
• Traineeship: one year paid traineeship at a garden open to the public.
• Botanical artwork: painting or drawing plants in their natural habitats or exhibiting at an RHS Show.
• Other: taxonomy, research, educational, or any other with a clear relevance to horticulture.

The bursary can be used for:

• Travel, accommodation, food
• Administration (e.g. obtaining health insurance, travel visa, CITES / collecting permits)
• Other (e.g. costs of a driver, or an interpreter)
• Obtaining high quality plant labelling
• Recording collections

Those eligible to apply include:

• Professional and student gardeners/horticulturists
• Plant and soil scientists
• Botanists
• Arboriculturists
• Landscapers
• Botanical artists
• Other related professionals

A written report is required from recipients detailing their experience and the benefits for their studies or career, which may be published in the CGS newsletter, annual journal or website. Applications may be made at any time.