Hana makes it to Rising Star finals

Our Outdoor Living Department Assistant, Hana Parker, has successfully made it to the final stages of a national competition, organised by industry body the Garden Centre Association (GCA) and sponsored by Westland Horticulture, to become a ‘Westland Rising Star’.

The 41-year-old, said: “I am thrilled to be one of five finalists in this prestigious competition. I have learnt so much about horticulture and garden centres in general throughout the competition and have been putting everything into action at Monkton Elm.

“I am now busy preparing for the final and working hard on the presentation I will be giving. I’ve got my fingers crossed for a win.”

The initiative aims to uncover hidden talent in UK garden centres and employees who have the skills and professionalism needed to make these destinations easy to shop and relevant for customers.

The finalists have taken part in the eight month program and attended three masterclasses run by IBBIS Director and training facilitator, Ian Boardman.

Some of the skills they were taught included the importance of keeping hotspots fresh, creating clear signage, organising themed displays and the benefits of teamwork.

Ian said: “Over the past eight months, I’ve had the pleasure to see a group of people who have grown in confidence and self-belief, delivering some tangible and impressive sales results for their garden centres. They are all stars in their own right, but only one will go on to become the Rising Star of the Year.”

All five finalists will attend the GCA conference, which takes place at Fairmount, St Andrews in Scotland in January, 2017.

They will deliver their presentations on stage in front of colleagues and peers. The overall winner will then be chosen by conference delegates.

Keith Nicholson, Marketing Director for Westland said: “Each year the Rising Stars programme goes from strength to strength. The programme is designed to guide our managers of tomorrow and give them a platform to develop their careers within garden retail. It is this kind of investment that ensures the long term growth of our industry.”

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide. Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA said: “The Rising Stars presentations are always the highlight of the GCA conference. It’s a great way for us to celebrate the real talent and professionalism in our industry. I can’t wait to find out who will be crowned Rising Star of the Year.”