The Garden Centre Association (GCA) celebrated its 60th anniversary with a successful conference, held recently at The Carden Park Hotel, Cheshire.
Delegates had plenty of opportunities for networking and many of the formal presentations focused on Prioritising People. “We know that to have a successful business, we need the right people in management and on the shop floor, with customers a top priority,” conference noted, adding: “This applies equally to all types of horticultural business.”
Motivation and communication are vital and one of the keynote speakers, Kat Thorne, is well versed in helping to improve employee wellbeing and productivity. Happy and healthy workers promote positivity in customers, leading to increased sales and customer satisfaction, she voiced. Known as The Morning Gamechanger, Kat explained that changing one small habit in your day improves mental wellbeing and resilience.
The UK population has low levels of positivity compared to our European neighbours, conference heard – negativity attributed to:
• Inability to manage technologies, especially social media
• Increased consumption of ultra processed food
• Loneliness
The audience – drawn from the GCA’s 221 full members 197 associates – was asked to participate in the session and bad habits many admitted to were:
• Consuming too much caffeine
• Checking phone too frequently, especially at bedtime and even taking it into the bedroom
• Erratic eating patterns
• Reluctance to take breaks from work
Kat emphasised that good sleep is hugely important for our mental and physical wellbeing.
One small daily habit change could revolutionise our lives, she said, and could be as simple as:
• Setting bedtime and sticking to itw
• Leaving the phone out of the bedroom
• Eating a healthy breakfast
• Exercising for ten minutes a day – walking or kitchen dancing work well!
• Taking a cold shower – a 30-second shower can raise productivity 30%
In summary, she said we need to combine smart work practice, good food, exercise and phone management so that we are a “Human Being not a Human Doing”.
www.katthorne.com
Colegrave Seabrook Foundation expands scope
A presentation on the support provided in horticulture by the Colegrave Seabrook Foundation was given by trustee Neil Gow. He announced that it is increasing its scope to include workers as well as students. The charity aims to open doors, build confidence and support the grass roots of the industry.
Moves afoot include collaboration with the Young People in Horticulture Association (YPHA) with the foundation’s Manager Development Programme.
Funds are raised through general donations, named funds, scholarship sponsorship, legacies and plant sales. Rosa Peter’s Persica, named after Peter Seabrook, is one of the plants generating income for the charity.
www.colegraveseabrookfoundation.org.uk
Healing Hands and Helping Hearts
The GCA is the primary supporter of the charity Greenfingers and many of us enjoyed the fundraising activity day. Tasks included axe throwing, archery and brain work in the evening with a challenging quiz.
The charity makes life-changing differences to children’s quality of life by providing gardens in children’s hospices. There is a huge demand for these, and a new five-year appeal – Healing Hands and Helping Hearts – was launched at the conference.
It aims to raise at least £1m a year to fund construction of two large and four small gardens annually. New within the charity’s mission is to provide ongoing maintenance and regular makeovers for the existing gardens. Greenfingers Ambassadors are being sought to provide professional horticultural input one a day a month through the year.
www.greenfingerscharity.org.uk