Mentoring

Our Mentoring Programme

To elevate women in parks horticulture and landscape, inviting you to learn more and join us. Our commitment to mentoring is that –

We identify and introduce
We will monitor and evaluate
We will provide guidelines
We will keep things confidential
We will be professional

Mentors will provide time free of charge and in good faith

Mentees are not obliged to take advice

No one is liable for anyone else

Mentor Sign up

Feeling inspired to pass on your wisdom or coach or support someone in navigating their career. Then fill in the responses required using the online forms to become a mentor.

We will review the information on a 3 monthly basis and match you with an appropriate person.

Mentor Form

Mentee Sign up

Thinking about the next career move or building your leadership skills then fill in the responses required using the online forms to become a mentee.

We will review the information on a 3 monthly basis and match you with an appropriate person.

Mentee Form

Women in Parks Horticulture Landscape

An elegant conference table made of pale, matte-finished wood, its surface neatly organized with a central open laptop displaying a vibrant landscape planting plan, surrounded by color-printed park design reports, a spiral-bound mentoring program guide, and a few neatly stacked botanical reference books. Next to them rests a small, carefully arranged vase of native wildflowers and grasses, adding subtle color and texture. Soft, diffused natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows brightens the room, reflecting gently off a neutral-toned wall with a large, blurred map of an urban park in the background. Photographed at eye level in photographic realism with balanced, sharp focus, the image conveys professionalism, collaboration, and structured leadership in the parks and horticulture sector, with a calm, aspirational atmosphere.

Our Mentoring Scheme

10 March 2026

Our scheme is a collaborative approach to addressing the lack of diversity within the parks and horticulture profession connected to women.

It is an opportunity for those of us that do already work within this sector to offer mentoring and support to the leaders of the future and talent within the profession.

Our approach to matching to mentors with mentees

Forms will be collated and reviewed and a process of matching will be completed. Mentors and Mentees will be contacted by WinPHL@gmx.co.uk to share details.

Mentees will be supported making contact and be provided with the ‘mentoring contract’ with clear aims and objectives of the time limited arrangement.

Prospective mentors can access a recording of the online briefing session below, share proposed process and to ensure that everyone feels engaged and supported.

An overhead, photographic realism shot of a large, clean white desk where a structured mentoring program is being planned through objects rather than people. A neatly open notebook shows a carefully written outline labeled “Mentoring Pathways” beside colored sticky notes arranged in a branching diagram, each with tiny, legible handwritten topics like “Leadership,” “Plant Science,” and “Community Projects.” A tablet displays a detailed botanical illustration of native trees, while a set of sample park maps, soil test reports, and seed packets fan out along the edge of the frame. Soft, even daylight from an unseen window illuminates the scene, casting barely-there shadows for a calm, organized atmosphere. The composition uses rule-of-thirds and generous negative space, conveying clarity, structure, and forward-thinking organization for women’s leadership in horticulture and landscape.

Roles of Mentors

10 March 2026

Following numerous research and studies reflecting the gap in this sector for women, those of us that are present within it can share valid and helpful support. In Parks and Horticulture there are fewer women in the sector and for landscape managers there is inequality around the seniority and pay.

The recommended focus of the mentoring support for WinPHL recruits is to provide guidance and support around

making positive progress in their careers
understanding and displaying effective behaviours for the workplace
achieving success when in a junior role with little/no prior experience
time and self-management
effective communication and influencing
Other topics that are important to the mentee connected to work

The focus of the mentoring support is on personal behaviours with technical skills and knowledge.

A detailed close-up of a fieldwork toolkit neatly laid out on a rough, weathered picnic table in a park setting: a sturdy, scuffed field notebook open to a page of hand-drawn tree sketches, a stainless steel soil core sampler with traces of rich brown earth, a compact hand lens, biodegradable plant tags, and color-coded flagging tape. Behind them, slightly out of focus, are young newly planted saplings protected by simple guards and mulched circles. Overcast, diffused daylight softens all shadows, emphasizing textures of wood, metal, and paper without harsh contrast. Captured in photographic realism from a low angle with shallow depth of field, the mood is practical, grounded, and quietly determined, evoking evidence-based, hands-on leadership in horticulture and park stewardship.

Expectation of Mentees

10 March 2026

To participate as a mentee, we are asking you to:

Provide feedback to WinPHL as to how things are going with you. This could be via an online meeting and/or a questionnaire.

Provide us with the best contact information that you are happy for a mentor to contact you on.

Provide an up-to-date information via this form.

Read the terms and guidance for the scheme, ask questions, be curious and respectful of your mentor’s time, knowledge and experience.

Your mentor will set up the first two meetings with you – finding the most suitable arrangement (online or in person depending on circumstances).

Your mentor will be available for further meetings which will then need to be organised by you, leading the agenda.

A carefully curated shelf in a bright, modern office, featuring an orderly row of horticulture and landscape architecture books with spines in muted greens, browns, and creams, interspersed with small labeled jars of seeds, pine cones, and pressed leaves. A slender, matte white frame holds a minimalist park masterplan diagram, while beside it sits a terracotta pot with a thriving native fern, its delicate fronds catching the side light. Warm, indirect daylight from the left creates soft highlights and gentle shadows that emphasize textures of paper, ceramic, and plant foliage. Captured in photographic realism at eye level with a slightly compressed perspective, the composition feels professional yet inviting, symbolizing knowledge, stewardship, and the legacy-building aspect of women’s leadership in parks and horticulture.

Expectation of Mentors

10 March 2026

If you are keen to offer support as a mentor, we are asking you to:

Provide feedback to WinPHL and the mentor group after 6 months, as to how things are going with your mentee. This could be via an online meeting and/or a questionnaire.

Provide us with the best contact information that you are happy for a mentee to contact you on.

Provide an up-to-date information via this form.

Read the terms and guidance for the scheme, ask questions, be curious, respectful, and supportive.

Set up the first two meetings with your mentee – finding the most suitable arrangement (online or in person depending on circumstances).

Be available for further meetings which will then need to be organised by the mentee, leading the agenda.

A close-up view of a weathered yet well-maintained wooden park bench facing a lush, thoughtfully designed planting bed filled with layered perennials, ornamental grasses, and young trees, all in varied shades of green with accents of soft purples and yellows. Dew-kissed leaves catch the soft glow of early morning light, which filters through overhead branches and creates dappled patterns on the bench’s slats and the mulched soil. In the distant, gently blurred background, a smooth, curving pathway and a small, discreet sign about sustainable planting are visible. Captured in photographic realism from a low, slightly angled perspective with a shallow depth of field, the mood is serene yet purposeful, suggesting care, stewardship, and the quiet impact of thoughtful landscape leadership.

A panoramic, photographic realism view of an urban park edge where a newly implemented, biodiversity-focused planting scheme transforms a once-bare lawn into layered habitat. Tall native grasses sway beside drifts of flowering perennials and low shrubs, all arranged in a deliberate, readable structure that frames a gently curving path of compacted gravel. Interpretive signs about pollinators and sustainable water use stand discretely at the path’s edge. Late afternoon golden-hour sunlight rakes across the scene from the right, catching seed heads and casting long, soft shadows, while distant city buildings fade into a gentle blur. Shot from a slightly elevated angle with sharp focus throughout, the atmosphere is optimistic and forward-looking, reflecting visionary, values-driven leadership in landscape and park management.

A meticulously arranged drafting table covered in detailed park masterplans, hand-drawn planting schemes, and swatches of green-toned color samples, all spread across a smooth, light oak surface. A stainless steel ruler, sharpened graphite pencils, and a small clay model of a terraced garden with native shrubs and wildflowers sit neatly to one side. Soft daylight from a large unseen window washes across the table, creating gentle shadows that emphasize the textures of paper and wood. Captured from a slightly elevated, photographic realism angle with a shallow depth of field, the composition feels professional and focused, symbolizing strategic planning and thoughtful leadership in horticulture and landscape design, with a clean, modern atmosphere that suggests calm confidence and quiet ambition.