Free sustainability webinar for members Our members will hear from a trio of sustainability experts during a free webinar this month (June 2024). We’re hosting the online event on June 26 from 3-4.30pm and it will cover water conservation and how to navigate environmental policies and initiatives in what is potentially a ‘green minefield’. Expert…
We’ve launched a hunt for a new inspector We’re launching a search for a new inspector to help our members retain the very highest of standards in service and expertise (May 2024). This follows an announcement earlier in the year from our inspector Gordon Emslie that he is retiring from his GCA role. Big shoes…
Clothing & catering style it out and serve up good BoT figures in April Our Barometer of Trade (BoT) for April is out today (May 21, 2024) and shows clothing and catering leading the way when compared to the same month last year. There was also a positive, 3.77%, year-to-date variance, but 10 of our…
Hedgehog Awareness Week The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) is hosting its annual Hedgehog Awareness Week from May 5-11 this year to highlight the problems hedgehogs face and how we can help them. This year the charity is asking people to welcome wildlife by creating space for it in their own gardens or green spaces…
Our Garden Retail Online Workshops (GROW) e-Learning platform was presented with a ‘Highly Commended’ at the recent Totara Awards (April 2024). GROW received the accolade in the ‘Best Extended Enterprise Solution’ category and was given a special mention during the awards ceremony too. ‘Extremely proud’ GROW’s Instructional Designer, Antony Snow says: “These awards recognise the…
Our March BoT figures show a ‘very strong month’ Our Barometer of Trade (BoT) figures for March 2024 have been revealed today (April 19, 2024) and are ‘very strong’ when compared with the same month last year. According to data submitted by our member garden centres, none of the categories recorded were down when likened…
We’re delighted to announce that Ben Harrison, who is Operations Director of Haskins Garden Centres, is our Chairman Elect for 2024/25. He will then become our Chairman at our annual conference in January 2026. Prestigious position Ben says: “I’m delighted to be taking on this prestigious position, having previously been the organisation’s Treasurer. I’m really…
Our members and their teams are being urged to put forward staff for this year’s GCA Trust Dick Allen Scholarship Award Scheme by Monday (March 25, 2024). The scheme is open to staff within GCA garden centres and the two recipients of the award will be invited to attend the International GCA (IGCA) Congress later…
As humans we tend to overestimate what we can do in a year and massively underestimate what we can do in ten years. Humans. Funny creatures aren’t we. If only we could better understand how the human animal works, I truly believe we could solve many of the biggest challenges in our world. As humans…
Our Barometer of Trade (BoT) report for February 2024 saw clothing romp ahead at +20.9% with catering just behind at +19.55% when compared with the same month last year. Just three of the categories recorded by us were down when likened to February 2023, according to the figures submitted by our member garden centres. Clothing…