A staff member at Pershore College has received a prestigious award.

Josh Egan-Wyer, head of horticulture (curriculum and commercial) at the college and interim centre manager, received the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Roy Lancaster Award.

The award ceremony took place at the RHS Headquarters in London, with Roy Lancaster himself bestowing the accolade.

 

 

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The award is given to people younger than 35 who have made an exceptional contribution to the practice, science or promotion of horticulture.

Mr Egan-Wyer's path to the accolade began when he graduated from the college with a first-class BSc Hons in horticulture in 2013.

From there, he took on the position of nursery supervisor at Pershore Garden Centre, which is located within the college grounds.

He then worked his way up to garden centre manager.

Impressed by his commitment, the college promoted him to a newly-established position - which is his current role at the college.

Currently, Mr Egan-Wyer is developing a new curriculum and strengthening links with employers.

He has been chairman of the Worcestershire Group of Plant Heritage and previously served as the chair of the West Midlands and South Wales Branch of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture.

His achievements include developing an app featuring a QR code identification system to assist students in recognising plants.

Mr Egan-Wyer said: "I’m honoured to have been presented with such a prestigious award in recognition of my work.

"I’m extremely passionate about promoting horticulture and furthering the importance of horticulture in education."

He continued: "There are wide range of interesting career paths in horticulture, and this is only expanding further as we see more new technologies introduced.

"I strive to ensure that Pershore College is at the forefront of horticultural education so that we can help to close the significant skills gap that exists in the industry."

Peter Husband, interim chief executive officer at WCG, said: "We would like to congratulate Josh on receiving the RHS Roy Lancaster Award in recognition of his contributions to horticulture.

"He demonstrates significant enthusiasm and dedication to the field both in and outside of work, and is incredibly deserving of this accolade."