Nursery World - To the Point: Proposed new trade body

Having proposed a new trade body for the sector, Alan Bentley explains how it could be structured.

It seems the views expressed in my last article raised such interest with Nursery World readers that the editor has kindly given me the opportunity to expand on the idea this month.

My concept of a true trade association is that it should be as inclusive as possible, not exclusive. If such an organisation is to have a genuine and moral mandate to speak for the sector, either to media or Government, it should include as many people working within that sector as possible.

This can give rise to problems. For example, nurseries operated by local authorities, relying directly or indirectly on government support, may have a different view of some issues than those in the private sector. This would probably be the case with top-up fees, or perhaps where the private sector is seeking no more than a level playing field, such as on VAT issues.

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