We are delighted to announce the nominees for our 2026 Volunteer Award.
The Volunteer Award is intended to celebrate volunteers and recognise the value of volunteering, showcase volunteers and the contribution they make and encourage volunteering through a variety of roles. This year the following 12 volunteers have been nominated:
- Paul Baker – who volunteers for Warwickshire Gardens Trust, was nominated for his work as Chairman of Warwickshire Gardens Trust, including leading their support of the campaign to retain the Gardens Trust’s statutory consultee role, encouraging new people to join the Committee, compiling the members’ newsletters, and arranging the online talks.
His nominator said: ‘Paul is patient in explaining to new Committee members what needs to be done and is efficient in his chairing of our meetings…. Paul’s knowledge of the local historic landscape is vast and without it WGT would be at something of a loss. He does far more than we could expect of a Chairman, taking on the role of conservation and planning advisor at the same time, which is very time-consuming. .. He is an inspiring leader and we are lucky to have him.’
- Charlotte Casella – who volunteers for the national GT, was nominated for her work editing both the Gardens Trust Magazine and the emailed GT News.
Her nominator said: Both publications ‘are critical organisational outputs that Charlotte manages very successfully. Her friendly, cheerful approach ensures that appropriate contributors to both publications are willing to provide suitable material, while her organisational skills and time management mean that the newsletter and the magazine are produced to a high standard and a known timetable.’.
- Sally Ingram – who volunteers for the Sussex Gardens Trust, was nominated for her work chairing the SGT Communications group.This includes editing the monthly email newsletter, managing the social media accounts, overseeing the website, and being instrumental in creating visual props and image boards that SGT can easily take to venues where to engage the public in the ideas of garden exploration and protection of public spaces.
In 2025 Sally was the instigator of a new oral history project, focusing on the Marine Gardens in Worthing. With the help of the Friends of Marine Gardens Sally led a small team seeking local people with memories of the gardens, to discover more about its past. Marine Gardens is one of the oldest parks in Worthing and SGT wanted to record an oral history of the many changes in its long lifetime.
Her nominator said: ‘Sally has a highly supportive, collaborative leadership style which encourages and enables SGT colleagues to become involved. …We owe Sally a great deal.’
- Anne Kaile – who volunteers for Somerset Gardens Trust, was nominated for her work on their research and recording committee. Anne organised regular meetings to go through all the historic gardens in Somerset, putting them into areas and listing them in priority order, she organized the volunteers into groups according to the districts in Somerset and historic gardens were then sub divided into categories of importance.
Her nominator said: ‘Anne has been the driving force of our committee in seeking new members, putting our aims and importance to the fore, and steering the training and development of our research. ‘Having her finger on the pulse’ accurately describes Anne Kaile. She is a member of many garden history organisations, attends meetings regularly, is up to date on what’s going on in the media and in the various publications which support this topic.’
- Irene Lucas and Sarah Luton – who volunteer for the national GT, were nominated for their work helping get getting the Garden History Hub off the ground. They have been extremely supportive and helpful and in providing all the information needed to make each article easy to read and understand both visually and in their writing. They also continue to make suggestions for improvement.
Their nominator said: ‘ Both Irene and Sarah have helped us to establish an online resource which aims to reach new audiences and make garden history accessible for everyone. It would be fantastic if they could be jointly recognised for their contribution’.
- Gwen Miles – who volunteers for Buckinghamshire Gardens Trust, was nominated for her contribution to the regular running, and strategic planning of the BGT as a council member, trustee and practical organizer and contributor in many volunteer facets. She manages the web site, edits and produces the BGT Newsletter and a monthly ebulletin, organizes membership events, plays a key part in organizing the Bucks Gardeners Network which brings together a group of professional gardeners.
Her nominators said: ‘Gwen is a great motivator, understanding how to inspire different types of members and volunteers. In her interactions she ensures that members and volunteers all feel appreciated and part of a worthwhile organization. She also makes great cakes for events and flower arrangements when necessary! She is a hugely valuable asset to BGT in so many aspects.
- Gillian Morgan and Hazel Morris – were nominated for their sustained and complementary contributions to the Planning and Conservation Working Group. As Secretary, Hazel has played a central role in organising and maintaining the group’s work on live casework, including coordinating agendas to reflect priority planning applications affecting registered parks and gardens.
Gillian Morgan has contributed a strong focus on planning policy and strategic context, supporting the group’s engagement with Local Plan consultations and related policy documents, including reviewing policy drafts and contributing to responses. She has helped to identify where policy gaps may expose landscapes to risk, and where early intervention through consultation responses can strengthen long-term protection.
Their nominator said: ‘Hazel Morris and Gillian Morgan have made sustained and complementary contributions to the Planning and Conservation Working Group, strengthening both its day-to-day operation and its strategic engagement with planning across London…. Together, Hazel and Gillian have ensured the Working Group is able to engage effectively with both individual planning applications and the wider policy frameworks which shape them. Without them, London Parks and Gardens work across planning would struggle to operate.
- Joan Pateman – of London Parks & Gardens was nominated for her work on the LPG Research Group since 2014, since when she has tirelessly and consistently been engaged in not only carrying out research, but in supporting others and being instrumental to ensuring the ongoing existence of the group. As the Research Group secretary Joan has ‘kept everyone on their toes’: making sure agreed actions are actually followed, up, circulating paperwork to members as appropriate and organising occasional visits to relevant archives. She keeps everyone informed about research opportunities, seeks quick responses to queries which may come in to the Research Group and alerting members of learning opportunities, both within and outside London Parks and Gardens. She has been particularly supportive to new research group members, such as four or five UCL students who completed a number of Inventory entries during 2024/2025.Joan was also an active contributor to the LPG element of the GT 2018 Sharing Repton Project, not only undertaking research into the plants Repton used in flower and Kitchen gardens for a handout and a display, but attending on the day held at Kenwood and generally supporting the event and its refugee participants.
Her nominator said: ‘Joan is passionate, determined and reliable but also deeply liked and valued as a team member. She is a critical friend and is not afraid to challenge, but then offers solutions too, which makes her a perfect volunteer. Recognising Joan’s enormous contribution is long overdue. She is not taken for granted. We love and value her deeply and hope this nomination is a gesture of our sincere appreciation and thanks.’
- Mary ter Braak – who volunteers for Somerset Gardens Trust, was nominated for her work as Membership Secretary. In addition to the usual duties associated with her role, Mary has taken on responsibility for the website, event ticketing and information sharing; all of which play a significant part in the smooth-running of the Trust and retention of members. Her day-to-day activities for the Trust are, by her own admission, a far cry from what she expected when she joined in 2008 as Minutes Secretary – the one job she no longer does!
Her nominator said: ‘It is hard to overestimate the value of Mary ter Braak’s contribution to the work of Somerset Garden Trust. She is completely dependable, competent and obliging in her vital role as our Membership Secretary. It would be difficult for us to function without the many tasks she completes regularly and unfailingly…. Mary ter Braak’s presence in the Somerset Gardens Trust is like the glue that holds it all together and it also has a ripple effect, reaching far beyond. ’
- Jill Walmsley – who volunteers for Hampshire Gardens Trust, was nominated for launching Hampshire Gardens Trust’s Garden Plans for Schools programme in 2022 and leading the Edible Gardens initiative ever since.
Her nominator said: ‘Through her hard work and inspirational leadership, including building relationships with head teachers across Hampshire, she has introduced hundreds of children to the joy of growing their own food. The programme now supports five schools, provides training and guidance to others, and continues to respond to growing interest across the county… Jill’s energy, enthusiasm, hard work and ability to inspire others is extraordinary.’
We’d like to heartily congratulate all of the nominees for the valuable contributions they have made to the Gardens Trust and local County Gardens Trusts across the country.
We look forward to announcing the winner at our Volunteer Celebration taking place in Norwich on Friday 12th June.
Click here to find out more about previous winners of our Volunteer Award and how you can make a nomination next year.
