Cloud Gardener UK x Churchill Fellowship

Press Release

Jul 11, 2024

How Do We Make Our Towns & Cities Greener? What are the positive/negative effects of eco-tourism?

FROM MILAN TO SINGAPORE HOW CAN WE MAKE URBAN GREENSPACES ACCESSIBLE TO UK RESIDENTS?

Jason Williams, a multi-award winning garden designer, has been awarded a coveted Churchill Fellowship which will enable him to travel to Milan, Barcelona, China & Singapore for seven weeks, researching urban greening policies, plant profiles, green infrastructure & community gardening initiatives to improve access to greenspace in urban areas within the UK.

Jason has designed several gardens at various RHS Flower Shows including the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, worked with several developers to create greenspaces and uses social media to demonstrate how gardening in small spaces can be beneficial to urban wildlife and mental health. This year, Jason created the feature exhibit at the nation's first indoor flower show, the RHS Urban Show. The exhibit, called RHS City Spaces: Cloudscape was designed to show how developers, horticultural retail, local authorities, young people and urban residents can work together to make towns and cities greener.

Add the documentary below to your watch later:

On his return, Jason will report his findings to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, with the hopes that some of his research will be implemented into policy across the region and then nationally. As well as, sharing his findings with the leadership team of the Royal Horticultural Society and other leading horticultural organizations.

Jason Williams, also known as, “The Cloud Gardener” is one of 134 new Churchill Fellows announced by the charity, the Churchill Fellowship. These exceptional individuals come from across the UK representing different backgrounds, experiences, professions, and passions, all united by a common aspiration to inspire change and build a better society based on global learning. Each will have the unique opportunity to explore new ideas and learn from experts and stakeholders around the world, bringing knowledge and innovations back into their chosen field in the UK.

To find out more about the Churchill Fellowship click here.

Talking about his award Jason said: “I am thrilled to have been awarded a Churchill Fellowship, being able to learn and work with locals, developers & leaders across Europe & Asia and bringing back new approaches to the UK to improve access to urban greenspaces & small space gardening is a fantastic opportunity.“

Alongside Jason, this year’s Fellows will address a wide range of topics including combatting racism in nursing, making towns and cities greener, using AI to support reading, and employing creative arts in dementia care. They will draw on experience and knowledge from innovators in countries across the globe from Ghana to Switzerland, Japan to Brazil.

A Churchill Fellowship is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, open to all UK adult citizens, to lead the change they want to see. The charity funds applicants to spend between four to eight weeks meeting experts in their field anywhere in the world, in person and/or online, building international networks that promote reciprocal knowledge exchange. It then helps Fellows to make a difference in their community or professional sector in the UK, based on insights inspired by these exchanges.

Julia Weston, Chief Executive of the Churchill Fellowship says: "We are delighted to welcome our new cohort of Churchill Fellows for 2024 from across the UK and to see first-hand their extraordinary passion and dedication to their respective areas of work.

Jason will be departing in September 2024 for a total of 7 weeks and will be documenting his findings across his social media platforms.

You can watch episode one of the series here: