The Association of Landscapers (APL) have announced the sponsors for the 2014 WorldSkills UK competition.
Organising partner APL have once again joined forces with Makita UK, Marshalls, Jewson and Greenwood Plants who have kindly donated tools and materials for this year’s contest.
Makita UK have donated approximately £15,000 worth of tools to the Landscape Gardening competition.
A selection of power tools, including random orbit sanders, jigsaws, disc cutters, mitre saws, laser levels and appropriate accessories, have been supplied to the Landscape Gardening team which is made up of seven competitors from Reaseheath College, Bishop Burton College, Sparsholt College and CAFRE.
Greenwood Plants will be supplying varieties such as Deschampsia, Potentilla, Achlilea, Echinacea, penstemon and pancium for the planting scheme, whilst Marshalls will be supplying the paving and Jewson the wood for the venetian fencing and wooden bridge.
The heats of competition will take place at RHS Tatton where they will be required to build a 2mx6m garden designed by award winning Alexandra Froggatt.
The winners from the Tatton heat then go on to The Skills Show at the Birmingham NEC in November where finalists compete to be named the ‘Best in the UK’ in front of 70,000 people.
Judges for the Landscape Gardening competition include, garden designer and four times RHS gold medal winner Adam Frost, Jody Lidgard, who has run his own landscaping firm for over 18 years and 2011 WorldSkillsUK medal winner Simon Abbott.
“As ever I’m sure we’ll be very impressed with the skills and standards of this years’ competitors,” says Kevin Brannigan, marketing manager, Makita UK. “The competitors will be working against the clock and under pressure and we hope our tools will contribute in helping to achieve accuracy and speed. This is valuable experience for their future careers. We hope to work more closely with the winners of the Tatton Park heat in preparation for the Skills Show later this year.”