A bursary has been set up in memory of Kenneth Black who left a legacy to the Society in 2010.  The sum of £750 will be set aside each year to support horticulturalists to further their training and to broaden their skills, knowledge and experience in connection with cottage gardens and/or cottage garden plants.

Application forms for the bursary can be found here. Click here for terms of reference for this bursary. Closing dates for application are 1st May and 1st November each year and applicants will be notified by the end of those months as to their success. In addition, any applicants for the RHS bursaries may be considered for top-up funds from the CGS KB bursary. 

The first Kenneth Black Bursary, awarded though the RHS and combined with their Coke Trust bursary, was awarded to Kirsty Dougall to enable her to undertake a 9 month placement in the gardens of the National Trust's Knighthayes Court. Reports of her work are in the June and December 2013 magazines.  Her final report can be seen by clicking here.  

The 2013 bursary awarded by CGS went to Tom Hollidge who is also doing a placement at Knighthayes.  

The KB bursary in 2014 has been awarded to Jessica Mehers, a CGS member, who has given up a post in academia to move into horticulture.  This was made possible by the grant awarded to her through the Heritage Horticultural Skills Scheme.  She is doing her basic training at Bodnant Gardens in North Wales and our bursary will enable her to take other short courses to learn specialist skills and possibly to train at another site.