Permission to Kiss

A Year of Change for the GCA

The Garden Centre Association has seen a lot of changes at the top in the past 12 months, but with membership booming and thoughts turning to the annual conference things are looking bright for 2023, as Sarah Welsh discovered…

Peter Burks, the new GCA CEO

To its membership of almost 200 garden centres located the length and breadth of the country, the Garden Centre Association is a source of inspiration and offers a wealth of industry knowledge.

Founded back in 1966, just a few years after the term ‘garden centre’ was first coined, the GCA has come a long way since the days when much of its work centred around making plants available year-round and gardening more accessible to the general public.

Prior to the establishment of the GCA green-fingered customers generally had to buy their plants via mail order, but these days this thriving retail sector is all about combining successful plant and nursery arms alongside savvy gift and seasonal buying, excellent catering options and offering families a great day out.

The GCA supports its members in achieving high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability, and also offers training to garden centre teams via the GCA e-learning initiative that’s exclusive to GCA and HTA (Horticultural Trade Association) members. Add to the mix a competitive annual Christmas competition and a small team that is all about innovation, and it’s easy to see how to many members the GCA is a lifeline.

In August 2022 former Chief Executive Iain Wylie resigned after a decade in post to pursue other opportunities. Under his tenure GCA membership had reached an all-time high – so whilst he will be a tough act to follow, expectations couldn’t be greater for the new incoming CEO Peter Burks, a previous GCA Chairman and with nearly 40 years’ experience in the sector.

Peter, who started in post on 3 January, says: “I’m very much looking forward to being involved with the GCA again. I believe the Association is extremely important to a large section of the industry as a place of personal support and social interaction as well as for business support. For many independents having someone else to be able to chat to and share experiences is vital and I think this will be increasingly important in the challenging times we’re likely to have ahead of us.

“I’m going to prioritise supporting the work of the GROW e-learning platform in giving online training opportunities to our staff and extending this to cover all topics of legal training.

“I’m excited to be working on helping more young people to choose horticulture and customer service as a career. We’re lucky that younger people are really getting into houseplants for the first time for many years which will help cultivate their interest in a permanent career. With new organisations such as Young People in Horticulture Association (YPHA) now getting involved, this is a great time for young people in our industry.

“I’m also keen on getting out and visiting our members to hear first-hand their ideas and concerns that the management committee can address.”

Holding the reins for the past six months has been Tammy Woodhouse, current GCA Chairman, and also Managing Director of Kent-based Millbrook Garden Centres. She told Christmas in January that the interim few months after the sad loss of Iain gave the GCA time to review its day-to-day operation and how this is taken forwards in the future – including working more closely with the HTA and Garden Industry Manufacturer’s Association (GIMA) for the benefit of all members and the wider sector.

“It’s been a steep learning curve and a juggling act combining my responsibilities at Millbrook Garden Centres with Chairman duties,” Tammy says. “Both of my teams – at Millbrook and the GCA – have to some extent forgotten what I look like! But the management committee and GCA board have also been really proactive themselves, taking on projects to drive the GCA forward.

“I believe the most important thing about the GCA is the sharing, support and friendship that our members give each other. Whatever the issue or challenge someone is facing, you can be sure that someone else has the experience or advice to help you through. There’s also a shared passion for our unique industry – and of course all this has been more important than ever over the last three years.”

Tammy credits Christmas trade with filling the winter sales gap for garden centres at a time when gardening is quiet. “For many of our members December is now the busiest month of the years and is absolutely crucial for sales,” she says. “The number of entrants into our GCA Christmas competition and the quality of retailing and display goes to show how important this period is to our members. It’s incredible to see the creativity and passion that goes into creating a magical experience for customers.”

Tammy says that having Peter on board means the GCA Annual Conference will be a don’t-miss event later this month.

“Peter brings a wealth of experience from across the industry. I know he is looking forward to meeting as many of our members as possible at the annual conference and through member visits over the coming months.”

The GCA Conference takes place at the Dunkenhalgh Hotel & Spa in Blackburn from the 22 to 25 January.

Tammy Woodhouse, GCA Chairman

For more information visit:

www.gca.org.uk, email: info@gca.org.uk, or call: 01244 952170. Or follow the organisation at twitter.com/gc_association, or at facebook.com/GardenCentreAssociation