- Details
SRGC Grant Aid
The Scottish Rock Garden Club has two main routes to Grant Aid - the Diana Aitchison Fund which supports courses of study and the Exploration Awards to help finance projects or trips pertaining to rock garden plants.
Update from Aitchison Fund - August 2020
We are still accepting applications to the DA Fund. We receive many applications for learning support from home students in the UK, which haven't been affected to the same degree as foreign placements. For those applications that include foreign travel, we have awarded the funds but delayed payment of the grant until we receive confirmation that such can go ahead safely and in line with relevant guidelines etc.
Matthew Topsfield
SRGC Diana Aitchison Fund Administrator
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Details for both these award schemes are on this page.
THE DIANA AITCHISON FUND
The Diana Aitchison Fund of SRGC provides grants and bursaries to support young people who want to pursue a career in horticulture, and especially to further their knowledge of alpine and rock garden plants, and their cultivation. The fund was established thanks to a very generous sum of money made available from the estate of the late Diana Aitchison, a keen gardener and plantswoman who set up and ran her own nursery at Spindlestone, near Belford, Northumberland.
If you know of any student who would benefit from a grant award from this fund please let them know about this excellent source of funding from the SRGC.
Grants from the Diana Aitchison Fund will be available each year. An indication of the value of awards made in previous years is given in the full information sheet available from the link below. Priority will be given to students following horticultural courses lasting one or more years and might go towards fees, living costs or travel expenses, either on a full-time course or at another location, such as summer work experience at a botanic garden or nursery. A personal contribution toward the cost of any course would be expected from any recipient. Applications may be received at any time.
Send applications to the D.A. Fund Administrator,
Matt Topsfield - the address is in the Information sheet.
Update August 2020
DIANA AITCHISON FUND
The DA Fund is still accepting and determining
applications for activity that can be undertaken at a future date when COVID-19
restrictions will permit, or for activity which can take place whilst restrictions are
in place, so applicants should continue to apply.
For application forms and awards criteria please go to:
srgc.net/site/index.php/extensions/grants or contact the Fund Administrator:
Matthew TOPSFIELD, 07775 812036, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
To Download a full Information Sheet in pdf format click here
To Download a D.A. Grant Application Form in pdf format click here
If you know of any student who would benefit from a grant award from this fund please let them know about this excellent source of funding from the SRGC.
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N. B. For Students the SRGC offers a free electronic subscription. Send your application toThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Please give your place of study and the title and date of the end of course of study.)
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Other Organisations offering Grants:
For Further Information on grants and bursaries available from organisations in the United Kingdom for horticultural projects, exchanges and travels, see this website:
Grants for Horticulturists
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SRGC EXPLORATION AWARDS
SRGC Exploration Awards were set up in 1985 to make awards to help finance projects or trips pertaining to rock garden plants. Feedback in the form of articles, talks, photographs etc., is appreciated. Recipients of awards need not necessarily be members of the SRGC.
SRGC Exploration Awards
EXPLORATION AWARDS - 2020
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent lockdown the committee didn’t
feel able to make any awards in April. The two applications we received will be
considered at our November meeting.
The next deadline for receipt of applications for Exploration Awards is Sunday
15th November 2020. Application form and awards criteria can be downloaded
from srgc.net/site/index.php/extensions/grants or by contacting the Fund
Secretary: Carol SHAW, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Donations for awards are always welcome. Contributions should be sent to the
Treasurer: Richard GREEN, Cedar Cottage, Balfron Station, Glasgow, G63 OSQ.
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The Committee Secretary, Carol Shaw, is the person to contact in the first instance, as per the application form.
Application forms are available by clicking HERE
Contributions to the Fund are always welcome and would enable us to offer more support. Any donations should be sent to the
SRGC Treasurer, Richard Green,
Cedar Cottage, Aberfoyle Road, Balfron Station, Glasgow G63 0SQ UK.
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SRGC is pleased to have an association with BES to provide support for BES students (aged 16 to 18 years) via our agreement with the Society.
Click here for link for application info
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Some photos of Grant Recipients and their reports are shown below, with some lists of previous grants awarded at the foot of the page :
Explorers' Garden, Pitlochry
The Explorers' Garden has asked if we have spotted Katie MacColl in and around the garden? Katie is joining the garden from Perth for a five month placement in Explorers with thanks to The Diana Aitchison Fund run by the Scottish Rock Garden Club.
It's great to see Katie enjoying a placement aided by an SRGC Grant. Good luck, Katie MacColl!
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SRGC Exploration Grant - Recipient Report - January 2015
Report by SRGC Grant Recipient Alan Elliott on the Botanical Exploration of
Baglung Rukum Dolpa 2014
Alan with helpers on the BRD Expedition
Platystemma violoides BRD A238 - - photo Alan Elliott
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Elspeth Mackintosh of RBGE was given an SRGC Exploration Fund Grant towards a trip to Bhutan :
it was first published in The Rock Garden #131 read her report published again in the International Rock Gardener here
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A Tale of Three Grant Recipients
In 2012, John Foley from Bolton-by-Bowland was the first winner of the prestigious BBC Young Gardener of the Year Award. The SRGC is delighted to have been able to be involved in encouraging John at the start of his career from giving him experience of the retail side as he sold us plants at shows as a schoolboy, through to his receipt of grant support from the SRGC Diana Aitchison Fund.
Alan has won dissertation awards along the way and is studying for a PHD. He is working on some interesting projects at the RBGEdinburgh and is a fine example of what can come about from a young man with an interest and some outside a encouragement and help. Alan said how much he felt the support of the SRGC, in so many ways, had been of assistance to him in his career.
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Examples of SRGC Grants Awarded:
DIANA AITCHISON FUND GRANTS
2015
Kate MacColl Placement at the Explorers Garden – 5 months to gain experience £1,500:00
Kate MacColl RHS Level 3 £445:00
Petra Palkova HND Horticulture with Plantsmanship RBGE £1,500:00
Threave - 6 Students NTS:
Petra Palkova Visit to gardens and Alpine Houses in SE England £500:00
Georgina Goss Visit to gardens and Alpine Houses in SE England £500:00
Sean Hannah Visit to gardens and Alpine Houses in SE England £500:00
Kerry McCallum Visit to gardens and Alpine Houses in SE England £500:00
Kate Merrington Visit to gardens and Alpine Houses in SE England £500:00
Jessica Scobie Visit to gardens and Alpine Houses in SE England £500:00
Colin Whiston Placement Glenarn Gardens, starts autumn 2015 £1,500:00
Rebecca Walker Month’s placement Tromso Botonic Gardens £1,500:00
Nick Courtens Two week study tour around Alpine Houses of Britain including RBG Edinburgh, RBG Kew, Cambridge Botanics £2,000:00
DIANA AITCHISON FUND GRANTS 2013
Jordan Miller £1,000 for a placement at the RBGE and Explorers Garden
Mariel Tribby £1,200 for a placement at the RBGE : see Mariel's blog about her experiences and travels to Scotland and Europe HERE
DIANA AITCHISON FUND GRANTS 2012
Kathryn Braithwaite £2,300 for her study/working trip to Wellington Botanic Gardens, New Zealand. Jan – Feb. 2013
Robert Dickie £1,500 towards his travelling and living cost whilst studying for a Degree in Garden Design at Hadlow College
Emmi Klarer £800 for work experience at the Explorers Garden, Pitlochry and visits to other gardens including the RBGE, Pitcairn Alpines, Cluny and Drummond Gardens.
Emmi Klarer was funded by a D.A. Grant to work at the Explorer's Garden in 2012 - see her diary here, it was first published in The Rock Garden #131
SRGC EXPLORATION FUND GRANTS – recent grants awarded:
£1,000 to Julia Cordon for a trip to Merak and Saktang Trek and the
surrounding area of Bhutan in 2015
£1,000 to Elspeth Mackintosh for a trip to Merak and Saktang Trek and
the surrounding area of Bhutan in 2015
£1,000 to Johan Nilson for a trip to Merak and Saktang Trek and the
surrounding area of Bhutan in 2015
£500 to Robert Blackhall-Miles for a trip to study the horticulture of the
high altitude Proteaceae of the Western Cape of South Africa in 2015
£800 to Sally Mary-Ann Hughes for a trip to see the see the alpines of Sichuan, Aba, Wenchuan and Leshan in 2015
£1,000 to Susann Nilsson for a field trip to study Pulsatillas in 2015
£1,000 to David Rankin for a trip to China in 2014.
£1,000 to Stella Rankin for a trip to the China in 2014.
£1,200 to Pam Eveleigh for a trip to China in 2014.
£750 to Alan Elliott for a trip to Mid-West Nepal in 2014 - see link to report, above.
£1,000 to Susann Nilsson for a trip to Kazakhstan and Japan in 2014.
£1,000 to Joanne Everson for a trip to Patagonia in 2013.
£1,000 to John Watson for a trip to Chile in 2013.
£500 to Mike Kintgen for a trip to Patagonia in 2013 *
*See a photo report from Mike Kintgen here
£400 to Robert Unwin (RBGE) for a trip to the Alps in 2012.
£400 to Georgina Ankers (RBGE) for a trip to the Alps in 2012
£1,000 to Alan Elliott for a trip to Nepal in 2012
£400 to Doug Logan for a trip to Nepal in 2012
£1,000 to Julia Corden for a trip to Arunchal Pradesh in 2012
£1,000 to Elspeth Mackintosh for a trip to Arunchal Pradesh in 2012
YOUNG EXPLORER BURSARIES
SRGC bursaries of £500 have been awarded to each of the following British Exploring Society Young Explorers. Successful applicants are asked to write a report of their experiences for the club. As part of their award they also receive free membership of the SRGC for a year.
Katie Lumsdaine for a trip to Northern Norway
Rosemary Cecile Hoggmascall for a trip to Northern Norway
Esmie Hotston Moore for a trip to Northern Norway
Mairi Iona Gilmour for a trip to Northern Norway
Matthew Hay for a trip to Northern Norway
Jennifer Newall for a trip to Ladakh
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Other Organisations offering Grants:
For Further Information on grants and bursaries available from organisations in the United Kingdom for horticultural projects, exchanges and travels available from
Grants for Horticulturists
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You can donate to the SRGC and help us provide even more resurces by clicking this button
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Quick Links
The SRGC web site and forum is a large and valuable resource. Here are a few quick links to features you may find interesting!
Seedexchange: We list seeds of over 5000 species annually.
Journal: One of the world's best publications for rock gardeners.
Shows: Every year we hold shows in Scotland and in northern England.
Events: What's happening?
Seeking Plant information?
In addition to the articles on this website, which includes over a hundred of our Journals, the SRGC has a huge resource of thousands of plant photos and information in the pages of the interactive Forum. The Forum is fully searchable and you may well find there all you need to know about a particular plant.
To search the Forum click here
Support The SRGC
We are constantly looking for ways to be even more open, more inclusive and to provide ever expanding resources for ordinary plant lovers.
If you appreciate our philosophy you can support us by joining the SRGC or by making a donation through Paypal using the button below.
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Scottish Rock Garden Club is a Charity registered with Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR): SC000942