Talented trainee gardener Fiona Braithwaite has scooped a rare City & Guilds Medal for Excellence award in recognition of her exceptional work within the land based sector.
Fiona, a mature student who graduated from the National Trust’s flagship Careership training programme last summer, was put forward for the award by lecturers at Reaseheath College, Nantwich, Cheshire, where she has been studying. All Careership gardeners and countryside wardens follow practical training at National Trust sites countrywide and attend a block release, tailor-made skills programme at Reaseheath.
Fiona achieved her NVQ level 3 in amenity horticulture, among other qualifications, and it was her outstanding portfolio which impressed her trainers. Another reason she was selected for the City & Guilds medal was her key role in restoring the Poem Garden at Bodnant Garden in North Wales where she trained and is now employed as a permanent gardener.