Stories

The competition for this year’s BALI Chalk Fund Top Student of the Year has intensified again in 2026. The number of students working towards courses in land-based disciplines who have applied has increased by 80% year-on-year, giving the Trustees Panel a greater (and heartily welcomed) challenge in their deliberations.  We received 65 entries this year

Charlie White was studying at Merrist Wood College in 2024. His tutor, Anna Eyres, nominated him for his “attention to detail and his enthusiasm encouraging others – he always puts in 100% effort.” A year on from his BALI Chalk Student of the Year Award win in 2024, we asked where his award win had

Before winning the BALI Chalk Landscape Student of the Year in 2023 and studying at Wiltshire (Lackham) College, Russell Fletcher was a builder, working for his father’s business. He attended the BALI National Landscape Awards event with his father, on what he sees as one of the most rewarding days of his career to date.

By the time that Cameron Barker claimed the BALI Chalk National Landscape Student of the Year Award in 2022, he was already on the way to 10 years of planting experience. Working on a nursery and maintaining local gardens in the North West since he was at school, he kept his interest and eagerness to

Joshua was nominated and awarded as National Landscape Student of the Year in 2020. Although unable to receive his Award in person due to the pandemic, he still remembers fondly how proud he felt; to have been nominated, a regional winner and then at the national level. Encouraged by his lecturer at Pershore whilst studying

As we enter 2026 and head towards the next year’s award application window, we took some time to continue our follow-up of recent and past winners of the BALI Chalk National Student of the Year Awards. This time, we spoke to Chloë Webster, KLC Westdean student and winner in the Garden Design category. Chloë has

The thrill and buzz of the BALI Landscape Awards 2025 is receding, and so we took a quieter moment to catch up with our 2025 BALI Chalk Landscape Student of the Year, Archie Matthews. Archie stood out as our National winner this year for his relentless commitment and high achievement, pushing himself at the World