Mark Chapelhow (21), a member of the Wildroof Landscapes team, has won the Young Achiever category of this year’s Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) Awards.
In the judges’ announcement, they commented that: “At the age of only 21, it is clear that Mark has already made a big impact on the Wildroof team but he is incredibly modest about his achievements.”
Mark was at the Awards ceremony in the City of London on Wednesday 12 March with his fiancee, Charlotte Cummins, and his bosses, Liz and Phil Newport. “It was a really glittering occasion,” says Liz, “and we were all impressed with the venue. For Mark to win was fantastic and, when we rang the rest of the team to let them know, you could hear the cheers down the phone. Mark was really surprised to win and also, as he put it, made up, and it was lovely that Charlotte could be there too.”
Mark joined Wildroof Landscapes, initially on a three-month contract, in October 2010. However, his enthusiasm for the work, his natural aptitude for the stonework side of things and his conscientious attitude led to a permanent contract and the offer of more formal landscaping training even before those three months had passed.
“Mark enrolled for the Level 2 Diploma in Amenity Landscaping at Askham Bryan Newton Rigg Campus,” explains Phil Newport, “ and he completed that in just a year, half the usual time. He took on his first full project early last year and the client commented on how much he cared about his work and his commitment to getting things just right, knowing how much that garden meant to the family.”
Liz and Phil are now looking into further training opportunities for Mark as well as garden projects where he can continue to make his mark on the local landscape.