First of all thanks to everyone for attending ‘Celebrating Horticulture in Wales‘. It was great to be joined by so many of you.
It goes without saying 2020 was a year none of us could have predicted. Like all of our members we’ve had to adapt the way we work. When lockdown was announced we all got settled into our home offices and started to work out how we could support you in new ways. We’ve taken our support, events and network online, with great success. In fact we might go so far as to say the way we worked suited more of our members. We’ve created shorter format events which members can attend without travel or taking many hours from their busy schedules. So many of our members are micro-businesses, so taking a whole day off can be a big ask.
Our Project Development Officer Issie moved all of her support work remotely too. Rather than travelling up and down the country meeting growers she’s been supporting people by phone and email. We appreciate it’s not quite the same as chatting face-to-face-sometimes, but she’s been doing a great job putting people in touch with the support they’ve needed, helping to share their stories by co-ordinating a series of videos about how our members responses to the pandemic and more. Well done Issie.
Farewell, not Goodbye
When we first started to put together out celebration event and 2020 review we anticipated saying goodbye – we thought Horticulture Wales was coming to an end. But recently we’ve had more positive news. We’ve received news that an Expression of Interest we submitted has been successful for a project which would contunite our work with Welsh Heritage Orchards and potentially create a cluster to support niche Welsh crops. We’re still in the process of putting together a final bid, but we think there’s a good chance Horticulture Wales will return…
A final thank you
Thank you to all our members, followers, and supporters. It has been a privilege to work with you! We are grateful that we are able to showcase your achievements, and to have supported you on your journeys. We continue to be inspired and impressed by your hard work, creativity and resilience, and your unceasing efforts in challenging and uncertain times.
We’re now finalising project administration. If you have any questions or queries for us please get in touch ASAP. Horticulture Wales in its current form ends at the end of this month.
Best wishes for the future from all of the Horticulture Wales Team