top student award

BALI Chalk Fund’s Top Student Award 2025/2026

Applications window opens on 23 February 2026

The Top Student Award has two categories, honouring students from both practical landscape courses, and those studying garden design.

The Student Of The Year competition is a two-tiered process.

The Colleges encourage Students of land-based courses (Landscape, Horticulture, Garden Design) to apply. Then at College level, each tutor at each college/training provider nominates the student - one from each of the Landscape and Garden Design categories - that they believe stands out in their year group, above all others; one that they believe will make a positive impact on the industry in the years to come. The Top Student from each region wins a cash prize of £100 and a certificate. This can be presented by one of the BALI Trustees at a College Award Event.

The second stage involves the assessment of all Regional Winners by the BALI Trustees to decide who will be the BALI Chalk Fund National Student Of The Year in both categories.

These National Student winners not only win a further cash prize of £500 but are also invited to attend the prestigious BALI National Landscape Awards to collect their prize. They will be invited on stage to accept, and will be in a rich arena of the UK landscape industry's leading players -  and who knows, there may even be job offers on the table!!

The winning college or training provider also receive a £500 cash prize and an invitation to the awards.

The 2025/2026 Top Student of the Year Awards (Landscaping and Garden Design) application process opens on 23 February 2026 and runs until 27 March 2026.

To explore the Application and Entry Process (for students and college tutors), you can view the latest Guidance Notes here for 2026, when available.

Steve Partridge, North Thames Regional Winner Student of the Year (Landscape) 2026

July 1, 2026

Congratulations to Steve Partridge from Capel Manor College. Steve, studying for his Professional Gardener Level 2 City […]

Finlay Lisk, South West Regional Winner Student of the Year (Landscape) 2026

June 24, 2026

Congratulations to Finlay Lisk from Wiltshire College. Finlay, studying for his Level 2 Horticulture Operative diploma, has […]

Isobel Curran, South West Regional Winner Student of the Year (Garden Design) 2026

June 17, 2026

Congratulations to Isobel Curran from Cornwall College. Isobel, studying for her BSc (Hons) Horticulture (Garden & Landscape […]

David Thomas, Wales Regional Winner Student of the Year (Landscape) 2026

June 10, 2026

Congratulations to David Thomas from Bridgend College. David, studying for his Level 2 Practical Diploma in Horticulture […]

Josh Crouch, South Thames Regional Winner Student of the Year (Landscape) 2026

June 3, 2026

Congratulations to Josh Crouch from Merrist Wood College. Josh, studying for his Level 2 Horticulture and Landscaping […]

Joseph Lynch, Midland Regional Winner Student of the Year (Landscape) 2026

May 27, 2026

Congratulations to Joseph (Joe) Lynch from Pershore College. Joseph, studying for his Level 3 Diploma in Horticulture, […]

Jill Doyle, Scotland Regional Winner Student of the Year (Landscape) 2026

May 21, 2026

Congratulations to Jill Doyle from SRUC Oatridge Campus. Jill, studying for her National Certificate Level 5 for […]

BALI Chalk Regional Students of the Year 2026

May 18, 2026

The competition for this year’s BALI Chalk Fund Top Student of the Year has intensified again in […]

Charlie White: Past Winner Garden Design National Student of the Year 2024

February 16, 2026

Charlie White was studying at Merrist Wood College in 2024. His tutor, Anna Eyres, nominated him for […]

Russell Fletcher: Past Winner, Landscape Student of the Year 2023

February 3, 2026

Before winning the BALI Chalk Landscape Student of the Year in 2023 and studying at Wiltshire (Lackham) […]

BALI Chalk Fund’s Top Student Award now has two categories, honouring students from both practical landscape courses, and those studying garden design.

The Student Of The Year competition is a two-tiered process, the first stage is at College level, we ask the tutors at each BALI Member College, and training provider to nominate the student that, in their opinion has performed above all others in their year group and that they believe will make a positive impact on the industry in the years to come. The Top Student from each category at each college wins a cash prize.

The second stage involves all the applications received in the first phase, being assessed by a panel of judges to see who will be the BALI Chalk Fund National Students Of The Year.

The winners not only wins a further cash prize but are also invited to attend the prestigious BALI National Landscape Awards to collect their prize and where they can network with the industry’s leading players, who knows, there may even be job offers on the table!!

The winning college or training provider also receive a cash prize and an invitation to the awards.

Top Student wins Capel Manor new equipment!

December 30, 2018

Winner of the BALI Chalk Funds Top Student award, <Jo Bloggs> pocketed £500 in prize money for […]

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