The RHS Chelsea Appeal 2014 at this year's RHS Chelsea Flower Show (20–24 May) is raising funds to help the charity engage with more secondary schools.
The charity is also raising funds to create more horticultural apprentice positions over the next five years at its four gardens: RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey, RHS Garden Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire, RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex and RHS Garden Rosemoor in Devon.
The move comes after the RHS revealed that its Campaign for School Gardening project has made links to more than half of UK primary schools, but only 36% of secondary schools in the UK have joined up to the campaign.
Sue Biggs, RHS director general, said: "Horticulture is a vibrant, challenging and diverse industry with great job prospects.
"However, research over the last few years for the industry-wide Horticulture Matters campaign, that aims to raise the profile of careers in horticulture, has found that 70% of 18-year-olds believe that horticultural careers should only be considered by people who have ‘failed academically’.
"We also know that more than 80% of secondary school teachers who discussed careers with their pupils said that they themselves were not aware of the vast opportunities offered by a career in horticulture."
Visitors to the world-famous gardening show will be able to make a donation to receive a special RHS Chelsea Appeal 2014 badge.
Fashion designer Paul Smith and TV personality Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen have joined a collection of other RHS supporters to create drawings of gardens, which will be auctioned off on eBay during RHS Chelsea Flower Show week (20 May – 25 May) to raise funds for the appeal, along with having new premium charity tickets available where all proceeds will go towards creating horticultural apprentices.
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