Bursaries and apprenticeships

The National Garden Scheme Community Gardens Award

In memory of Elspeth Thompson

Elpspeth Thompson

In 2011 the National Garden Scheme set up an award scheme in memory of Elspeth Thompson, the much-loved garden writer and journalist who died in 2010. Elspeth was a great friend and supporter of the National Garden Scheme; she also wrote an admired ‘Urban Gardener’ column in the Sunday Telegraph. Her column often celebrated community gardens and so the awards support gardening projects carried out within local communities all over England and Wales.

Previously managed in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society, from 2019 the scheme will be wholly managed by the National Garden Scheme.

In 2020 we gave out awards to 44 projects bringing the total of projects supported to-date to over 100, with a total amount donated of £209,384.

The application process for 2021 will open in Autumn 2020. Come back to this page for more information later in the year.

2020 Awards

2019 Awards

For stories about some of our previously supported projects follow the links below

Read more about the Kyra Women’s Project here
Read more about The Therapy Garden here

Illustration of a basket of flowers

Don’t miss a thing

By completing this form, you confirm that you are aged 18 years or over and that you are happy to receive emails from the National Garden Scheme in accordance with our Privacy Policy. We will never share your details with anyone else without your express permission.