MEMBER ADJUDICATION UPDATE AND NEW SGD AFFILIATES

in the delivery of ‘green places’. Set against the UK average, employees are older and a greater number are white. Researchers say this aging workforce will make skills shortages worse in the medium term.

The difficult recruitment issues are set against an otherwise buoyant landscape industry. Calculated to be worth around £24.6bn to the British economy, in Gross Value Added terms, the industry is growing almost twice as fast as the wider economy average, with a ratio of 18 per cent to ten per cent since 2010.

As well as highlighting the challenges, the report suggests solutions to the skills shortages. These include increasing the number of highquality training and apprenticeship schemes, and opening up more routes for promotion within the landscape industry to widen its appeal.

The data behind the report has been made available via a searchable online dashboard, making it easier to explore issues of local interest and to collaborate on building the evidence base needed to overcome the challenges being identified.

The research was undertaken by Metro Dynamics and was a cross-UK partnership between Government agencies and industry. Led by the LI, the research partners included the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI), Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland, the recruitment organisation Locri, Natural England, Natural Resource Wales, NatureScot and the Northern Ireland Department for Communities. To download the study, visit landscapeinstitute.org and search for Skills for Greener Places

MANY CONGRATULATIONS to Samuel Moore, who has passed both projects 1 and 2; and to Sarah Kay, Jennifer Berry and Christine Fowler who have all passed their project 2 in the adjudication process. We also extend our congratulations to Joanna Archer who has passed her third project to become a full MSGD.

The SGD would like to welcome the following SGD Affiliates: Glendale Civic Trees (civictrees.co.uk); water management solution company ACO Technologies PLC (aco.co.uk); Elveden Instant Hedge (elvedenhedges.com); Westminster Stone (westminsterstone. com); education and consultancy company The Landscape Academy

(landscapeacademy.co.uk); Kebur Garden Materials (kebur.co.uk); landscaping company Garden House Design (gardenhousedesign. co.uk); lighting specialists Moonlight Design (theartoflight.co); container gardening provider Crescent Garden (crescentgarden.com); and Lighting for Gardens (lightingforgardens.com).