On 28th July, I will be taking part in Ultra X Wales 50 - a 50km running event across Southern Snowdonia National Park. That's 31 miles with 1,830 metres (6,003.9ft) of elevation. This will be a huge undertaking, however training is well underway and I can't wait to cross the finish line in the Welsh mountains!

I'll be using this opportunity to fundraise for The Colegrave Seabrook Foundation. The CSF is a registered UK charity (1017289) that supports students working in and studying to gain qualifications within the Horticulture industry. I made a career change to the world of Horticulture 5 years ago and was fortunate enough to benefit from support offered by the Foundation whilst I gained my Horticultural qualifications; I feel I now have the chance to give something back and raise awareness of this fantastic organisation.

Horticulture is such an important part of our food security, our green spaces and our ecosystem. With a huge range of diverse employment opportunities, the sector is worth £28 billion to the UK economy and employs over 600,000 people each year. However, global changes and poor understanding of the sector is exposing the industry to increased risk of financial and job uncertainty. Any and all donations made will go towards supporting our Horticulturalists of the future.

Peace & Love, Neal. x

The Colegrave Seabrook Foundation

House of Lords Horticulture Sector Committee Report 2023