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50 glorious years of landscaping excellence
This year the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) celebrates its 50th anniversary; what better time and place to re� ect on the achievements of the past and to look to the future.
Over the past 50 years the landscape industry has grown and developed beyond all recognition. New technologies, equipment and materials are introduced constantly, infl uencing design, setting new standards and inevitably, making demands of Association members’ expertise and professionalism. So let us remind ourselves of where it all began.
A potted history
It was in 1971 that a handful of luminaries decided that the burgeoning landscape and horticulture industry, with its existing small representative groups, deserved its own dedicated Trade Association. OBE, the Association’s National Chairman from 1978-1979, and his committee that the National Garden Festivals would eventually be given the go-ahead.
Taking place in Liverpool, Stokeon-Trent, Glasgow, Gateshead and Ebbw Vale between 1984 and 1992, these wonderful advertisements for landscaping and horticulture resulted in the much-needed regeneration of socially and economically derelict industrial areas across Britain. A recent parallel is BALI’s and its members’ major contribution to the planning, construction and subsequent maintenance, in collaboration with other key industry and professional bodies, of London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
This would exist to raise standards of training and workmanship across the industry, to support its members, and promote them to their potential customers.
Jeff rey Bernhard OBE of Bernhard’s of Rugby (Bernhard’s Nurseries), who was Chairman of the Executive Committee of the HTA’s Landscape Group at the time, headed up the steering committee for the new Association. In 1972, with the support of other industry names including Geoff rey Chalk (Managing Director of Gavin Jones Nurseries at the time) and Les Bailey (then Director of Blakedown Nurseries), the British Association of Landscape Industries was born.
The Association soon began to attract many other well-known landscaping companies as members. Jeff rey Bernhard became the Association’s fi rst National Chairman, and the very fi rst conference and AGM was held that same year at Merrist Wood College near Guildford, Surrey.
An Association to be proud of
Looking back over the years there have been a number of notable achievements of which the Association can be justly proud. It was thanks to BALI, following a suggestion and subsequent lobbying by Peter Jennins
The birth of the National Landscape Awards
The National Landscape Awards were introduced shortly after the Association was established. Originally sponsored by Fisons, they have developed over the years into Europe’s premier landscape awards event. As now, their purpose in those early days was to draw attention to the standards of professionalism achieved by Association members and, in so doing, raise standards across thedoing, raise standards across the wider industry.
Oatridge College garden 2009
Winners over the years have received their awards from such names as Chris Beardshaw, Lord Sebastian Coe, David Domoney and Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen and the annual Awards ceremony now attracts c. 1,000 guests from amongst the great and the good of the landscape industry to London each December. COVID necessitated a ‘virtual’ Awards ceremony in 2020 but there was no less enthusiasm shown by either members, who entered and/or sponsored categories, or the wider industry, and it was hailed a great success. That said, the return to JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London, for the 2021 Awards was welcomed by everyone.
Tomorrow’s landscape professionals
Developing the landscapers of tomorrow has been another cause for celebration over the years. Following its project management of the WorldSkills UK Landscape Skills Gardening Competition for many years, which provided a public platform for young landscapers to demonstrate their landscaping skills and compete against their peers from the UK. The Association continues to work with schools, colleges, career changes and the Armed Forces Resettlement Programme to promote landscaping as a career through its GoLandscape initiative.
Officially launched in 2018 and supported by the BALI Chalk Fund, GoLandscape’s dedicated website provides vital information and guidance the industry, and its recently launched three-year Strategic Plan sets out a clear pathway to continuing to achieve these objectives in challenging times. Over the next three years the Association will:
• Continue to lead the industry, by lobbying for industry issues; raising industry standards; advancing training and education; promoting landscaping as a career; and working in partnership with other industry bodies.
• Continue to build membership, by developing, delivering and confirming a member-driven offer; reducing member attrition; increasing student membership; and identifying opportunities for transactional business.
• Continue to be relevant to our members’ clients, by promoting accreditation and quality assurance and encouraging members to capitalise on their accreditation; ensuring the Directory continues as a valuable client resource; and educating and inspiring clients with members’ landscaping successes.
• Future-proof the organisation, by investing in policy, education, and marketing; ensuring BALI’s internal culture and behaviour fully aligns with its declared values; succession planning; refining operational processes; developing ethical, environmental, and commercial sustainability strategies that reflect the changing world; and ensuring
BALI’s financial security into the future.
Who knows what the world of landscaping will look like when the Association celebrates its 60th anniversary but there is no doubt that the Association and its membership will be there, at the front, shaping that world and leading, as they have always done, by example.
Accredited Contractor – Ground Control for anyone wanting to take up a career in the landscape sector. GoLandscape Ambassadors - volunteers from across the industry - go into schools, colleges and resettlement organisations, to promote careers in landscaping.
Members at the heart of all that we do
The first ‘Landscape House’ HQ office was on the St Ives Estate in Bingley, West Yorkshire, followed by a period in nearby Keighley. In 1999 the Association moved to more centrally located Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire and has been in its current building on the site since 2014.
Membership has grown to c. 1,000 today and the disciplines represented among the membership have grown too. Designer Membership was introduced in 2004, since when the achievements of Accredited Designers at Chelsea and other prestigious events, and at the Awards, have demonstrated the absolute sense of designers and contractors working closely together.
In the Association’s early days a General Secretary oversaw the administrative function and day-to-day member support. As the Association grew, however, and the support staff along with it, the role developed into that of Chief Executive, held since 2011 by Wayne Grills.
BALI Landscape House, 1999-2014
The key objectives are, and have always been, to serve its members and to lead
CAFRE left & Oatridge Joint Winners UK WorldSkills 2009
