DLF Seeds for Exeter Chiefs

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DLF Seeds for Exeter Chiefs: A change in career is a daunting prospect, but it can often be made easier with training and support from new industry peers.

For Max Sandford, a joiner by trade, he is swiftly learning ‘all things turf’ after taking over as Head Groundsman at Exeter Chiefs Rugby Club 18 months ago. One of those trusted contacts is Ian Barnett of DLF Seeds who has supported Max with the Johnsons J Premier Pitch, in use across the club’s stadium and training facilities.

DLF Seeds for Exeter Chiefs

“The world of grass seed was very new to me” Max explains, when he accepted the top job in early 2018. “Ian, our regional DLF Technical Manager, together with my local distributor have spent a lot of time going back to basics, looking at cultivars and mixture qualities which has given me a much better understanding. The support has been invaluable and has certainly given me enough of an insight to see that the Johnsons mixtures are doing a fantastic job!”

A combination of J Premier Pitch and the ProNitro coated version, J Nitro Premier Pitch, have been used across the site for the last seven years. “We carry out a full renovation on both pitches each year after the final game and overseed roughly every six to eight weeks, depending on the time of year and pitch usage.”

“I am very impressed with the germination, the density of coverage and the strong colour we achieve year on year. The wear tolerance is a major factor for rugby, especially in the scrummaging areas, but the J Premier Pitch holds firm which is testament to the strength of the rooting.” On the back of Ian’s advice, Max is looking forward to trying Johnsons J 4Turf mixture for the first time this winter, to deliver deeper rooting and rapid establishment even under low soil temperatures.

Max concludes, “I enjoy reading about what other groundsmen are using and when I see Johnson’s mixtures used at leading facilities around the country, I feel confident that I’m sourcing the best products I can for the club. Ultimately, I’ve found if you ask the right people the right questions, you will get the right answers!”

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Calls to sign Parks Protector Pledge

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Calls to sign Parks Protector Pledge: Green space charity Fields in Trust has issued a General Election manifesto and is calling on candidates to sign a six-point Parks Protector Pledge, promising to champion and protect local parks and green spaces which are much loved by their constituents.

The manifesto sets out the role that elected representatives can play in delivering the health, wellbeing, environmental and community benefits that parks and green spaces provide; yet not everyone gets an equal share. Fields in Trust’s Green Space Index reveals 2.6 million people across Great Britain live more than a ten-minute walk from a local park or green space.

Calls to sign Parks Protector Pledge

The Green Space Index shows that, although Britain has a total of 216,160 hectares of publicly accessible local parks and green spaces, less than 6% of this space is legally protected with Fields in Trust. With public sector cuts leading to pressure on parks and green spaces, candidates are asked to endorse legal protection of green spaces and help prevent more being sold off or developed.

The charity is highlighting the urgent need to secure and maintain parks and green spaces that we currently have and is calling for all candidates in the General Election to sign a pledge, if they are elected, that they will champion the important public service parks and green spaces provide locally, and advocate for policies that safeguard parks and green spaces across the country. Electors are invited to quiz candidates on their approach to parks and green spaces and encourage them to sign the pledge at www.fieldsintrust.org/pledge

Fields in Trust Chief Executive, Helen Griffiths, said: “There is overwhelming evidence that parks and green spaces contribute health and wellbeing benefits to our communities. We are calling on election candidates to advocate for policies which protect and support parks and endorse local efforts to help maintain and improve the green spaces in their constituencies.
“There is an urgent need to ensure the current level of park and green space provision is maintained and review what more can be done to legally protect vulnerable spaces for future generations to enjoy, because once lost, they are lost forever.”

Fields in Trust’s research demonstrates clear health and wellbeing advantages, including a saving of £111 million each year to the NHS from regular use of parks and green spaces; the charity is concerned that many people who don’t have a park or green space nearby could miss out on these benefits. It is also likely that future loss of parks and green spaces will disproportionately impact the most disadvantaged and underrepresented communities.

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G34D picture perfect at Durham

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G34D picture perfect at Durham CCC: The Dennis G34D cylinder mower is helping to provide a fantastic finish on the pitch at the Emirates Riverside Stadium according to Durham CCC head groundsman Vic Demain.

This year has been particularly testing for Vic and his team especially with the pressures that come with hosting games for the Official ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. However, Vic alongside his team of four, rose to the challenge and received a number of plaudits along the way.

G34D picture perfect at Durham CCC

“We had three World Cup matches, but in addition to that we had approximately twenty days of World Cup practice sessions. At the end of the day we are competing against other international cricket venues such Lords, the Oval, Trent Bridge, Headingley and Old Trafford.

When the World Cup is on TV, viewers might see a game at Lords one day and then the next day they will watch a game here at Durham. That’s a lot to live up to especially with the game being viewed by a global audience.

“The feedback we had about the pitch off the back of the World Cup was absolutely amazing and that was from people all over the world. We have to be realistic in the sense that we don’t have the same kind of budget as most of the other venues, so to be able to achieve what we did with the resources that we have, really meant a lot to me.”

For that all important, presentation Vic relies on the Dennis G34D which has been designed and built following the same concept as the popular Dennis G860 cylinder mower. Available in three different cutting sizes – 26”, 30” and 34” – the mowers incorporate a large-diameter eight bladed cutting cylinder to cater for a wide range of uses to leave a precision cut. The handlebar design makes manoeuvring easy and the wide adjustment makes it comfortable for all cutting heights.

“The G34D is a designated mower for cutting the squares and we probably cut them anywhere between once a week and fifteen times a week – depending on what presentation we need. Obviously, the more cuts the better the definition and the better it looks on television. The G34D offers superior presentation – it’s always a picture-perfect cut.”

“There are other mowers on the market and we did try a variety. However, as a grounds team we talk as a collective unit when it comes to new equipment. It was a unanimous decision to go with the G34D.

“The staff at Dennis are very amenable, have fantastic industry knowledge and the spare parts are easy to get hold of. If I build up a working relationship with someone and that relationship goes well, I will tend to stick with them. I have always put my trust in Dennis.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter @DennisMowers and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers

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Reesink adds refresher training for 2020

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Reesink adds refresher training for 2020: Reesink Turfcare has added 12 practical refresher courses to its machinery and equipment training offering for 2020.

These one day operational and service courses are for those who need the latest knowledge or have previously completed the relevant two-day course, but need to refresh their skills to ensure they remain fully up to date, as well as learning about any new developments that are related to the job they do.

Reesink adds refresher training for 2020

There are 12 refresher courses in total. Six are provided by LANTRA, the leading body for land-based and environmental training, and relate to operational aspects of turfcare machinery maintenance, such as equipment installation training, the safe use of ride on mowers, compact tractor driving, the safe use of pesticides and the sprayers and handheld applicators used in administering these chemicals.

Then, there are another six manufacturer-backed training days from Reesink and Toro in relation to Toro diagnostics and info centre training, plus training on the customer’s choice of any greens, fairway, rotary, cylinder or flail mower or utility vehicle.

Neil Adams, head of turfcare training at Reesink, says: “We’ve introduced these refresher courses based on what our customers are telling us they want – a reminder of the key points and skill set update. They are incredibly good value, being done on either a one-to-one basis or as a group if there’s more than one operative requiring the course. All the courses are delivered by nationally quality assured trainers and assessors and include a mixture of practical and theory work.”

These new refresher courses join the 11 already offered by Reesink and bring the full range to a total of 23. It is without question says Neil the biggest selection from a turfcare machinery and equipment distributor in the country.

“We are incredibly proud of the extensive range we offer our customers, it makes us stand out from the crowd by being able to offer so much more value. There’s something to suit everybody, at every level, whether you work in the golf and fine turf sector, sports or grounds sectors.

“Our range of training courses demonstrates our belief in continuously improving standards in the industry. We aim to make training convenient with some courses delivered at the trainees’ working premises, too, using familiar equipment in a familiar environment. This set-up means it could not be easier for customers to develop and invest in their employees.”

Further information such as dates and details on how to book, plus all the other courses available which range from air-cooled engines and basic electrics and hydraulics, can be found at reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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