Before joining Trees for Cities for a traineeship in 2014, Matt found himself at a career crossroads with a yearning for more meaningful work. His real moment of change came when he was installing an edible playground in a North London school. As a team leader was teaching the children about the vegetables they were planting, he was shocked to find that most of the children couldn’t identify them. This moment lit a fire in Matt, and he spent the next decade learning everything he could about gardening to help people connect to nature in their communities.

Building His Knowledge

Following his traineeship, Matt was keen to build on his knowledge and started an apprenticeship at the Inner Temple Garden, which is also where he started his RHS work-based training journey. Matt soaked up all the knowledge he could from his work-based training and subsequent roles with private companies and community groups. Getting his hands dirty at every opportunity provided invaluable learning that helped shape his career.

In 2021, he relocated to Cambridge after he was accepted for another traineeship, this time at the prestigious Cambridge University Botanical Gardens. After completing a Higher National Diploma, Matt secured a role as a senior gardener with the National Trust, alongside another relocation, this time to the historic county of Hertfordshire.

Today, Matt continues his role with the National Trust as a Senior Gardener at Shaw’s Corner, the country home of famed playwright George Bernard Shaw. He manages a dedicated team of volunteers and is overseeing the restoration of the Arts and Crafts garden, taking it back to its former glory of the 1930s. A lot of his work also goes into maintaining the meadow, orchard, and trees at the property.

Looking Back Over A Decade

He is still finding meaning in his work by sharing his knowledge with the next generation, and told us about a recent interaction with a young boy during a tour of the orchard at Shaw’s Corner at an Apple Day event. He taught the inquisitive boy about the differences between fruit buds and leaf buds - he was thrilled with learning something new about trees! Later in the day, he came back to present Matt with a turtle he had made from leaves to thank him for his help. He said, “Little moments like that over the last decade have all added up.”

Matt has built an extraordinary career since his traineeship with Trees for Cities, which all started at Ruskin Park, hauling sleepers around schools and working side by side with colleagues who shared his passion for making a real difference in the community.