Wildflower havens to protect hedgehogs

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Wildflower havens to protect hedgehogs: Non-profit wildflower specialist, Seedball, has teamed up with People’s Trust for Endangered Species to create a specially developed wildflower seed mix with the aim of growing hedgehog friendly habitats to support the struggling population.

There were an estimated 36.5 million hedgehogs in Britain in the 1950s, which plummeted to around 1.5 million in 1995, and numbers have continued to decline severely. Hedgehogs are classed as an indicator species which means a decline in their species indicates a decline in the quality of the environment and the health of the natural world.

Wildflower havens to protect hedgehogs

Wildflower havens to protect hedgehogs

Anyone with a garden can help make a difference to the plight of hedgehogs by being aware of the obstacles they face such as impermeable garden borders like walls and fencing, busy roads, and minimalistic garden designs with little space to forage. Gardeners can help hedgehogs by leaving small holes in fences and borders so they can move around, 3cm is the perfect hedgehog-sized hole. Also, providing water for them to drink will help keep them hydrated, and leaving an area for them to hide in such as a log pile will help to attract beetles, which hedgehogs love to eat.

A wildflower patch can make a beautiful hedgehog friendly addition to a garden as it provides essential shelter and attracts insects such as beetles and worms for them to feed on.

The experts at Seedball have made it easy to create a wildflower patch at home by creating a range of unique, peat-free balls containing wildflower seeds that transform outdoor spaces – from meadows to plant pots – into seas of beautiful flowers that not only look good but do good too. There is a selection of mixes to choose from that all benefit native species including bees, beetles, birds, bats, butterflies and hedgehogs.

The hedgehog mix has been specially developed to create hedgehog havens by attracting them, and the insects they feed on. Each tin of Hedgehog Mix contains 20 seed balls, enough to cover 1 metre square in a garden bed or 3-5 medium-sized pots. Each of the seed balls contain approximately 30 seeds each with a mix of yellow rattle, wild carrot, birdsfoot trefoil, tufted vetch, self heal and poppy. This combination of colourful wildflowers will create an area irresistible to hedgehogs and their prey, and proceeds from the hedgehog mix go to People’s Trust for Endangered Species to support their ongoing conservation work.

Dr. Emily Lambert, co-founder of Seedball commented: “Hedgehogs are such well-loved and wonderful creatures, we simply cannot let their numbers dwindle any further. Working closely with People’s Trust for Endangered Species means we can help people to grow beautiful wildflower habitats for hedgehogs and other wildlife to roam but also support their essential conservation work.”

Seedball is passionate about curating vibrant flourishes of flowers easier for everyone, whilst giving a home to depleting wildlife and pollinators.

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Campey welcomes Irelands Groundcare

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Campey welcomes Irelands Groundcare: Campey Turf Care Systems has welcomed Irelands Groundcare as their new dealer for Lincolnshire and Rutland. 

The Lincolnshire based machinery sales and hire group has a strong reputation in agriculture with over 25-years’ experience in the industry, and in late 2020 began to replicate that success in groundcare.

Campey welcomes Irelands Groundcare

Campey welcomes Irelands Groundcare

Offering high-quality machinery that solves their customers’ problems has been the cornerstone of the business since Jonathan and Fiona Ireland started the company in 1994, and the addition of Kubota Groundcare prompted them to seek brands of a similar reputation for their fine turf offering.

In Campey Turf Care, Irelands Groundcare Business Manager, Huw Price, found a company that offered leading machinery solutions for recurring issues faced by fine turf customers.

Huw explains: “We were reaching out to other businesses that had done a similar thing to us, and there were a couple of other dealers that were really helpful when it came to understanding the market and how it’s run. We wanted well-made machinery that is going to last. We don’t want to be the cheapest; we want to be the best with the right kit that we can stand behind and be proud to offer our customers.

“When we investigated the market, and what was available, we had previously used an Air2G2 which we had success with. We knew we needed a seeder for our groundcare offering, and we are lucky to have some experts in our company who are very experienced in agricultural seeders, and they told us the options we had, which led to us reaching out to Campey.

“Simon Holland came down with a low loader full of equipment that he recommended as our demo and hire stock, and one of those was a Vredo Compact seeder, and we’ve actually already sold one. So that and the Air2G2 were the things that drew us to Campey initially, and after meeting Simon, we there and then decided we wanted to sell Campey products, and we got five machines.

“We’ve already had people hire the Vredo, and we knew it would go well because it’s the sort of machine you might only need for one week a year and certain golf clubs in this area would find it more financially beneficial to hire it for a week and let us look after it for the rest of the time.

“The root pruner is another great example. It’s somewhat unique and solves a problem, but people might not necessarily want to buy one because it’s not something you would frequently use. But as a hire machine, it’s a great thing to have for three days to solve the leaching of the roots on fairways, and it makes financial sense.”

As part of their expansion into groundcare, Irelands are opening a fourth depot in Tinwell, Rutland, where their new turf team will be operating from May 2021 and will be available to offer advice and recommendations regarding their hire fleet and machinery sales.

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Agrovista UK announces depot upgrades

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Agrovista UK announces depot upgrades: Agrovista UK is reinventing the way it distributes its wide range of products and that has started with a newly built depot in Melsonby and some significant upgrades in Allscott.

Ongoing improvements, developments and new initiatives are signalling exciting times for everyone connected with Agrovista UK. Staff, partners, suppliers, and customers are reaping the benefits of all the mechanisms being put in place, and the company’s latest focus has been on improving its storage and distribution.

Agrovista UK announces depot upgrades

Agrovista UK announces depot upgrades

The initiative perfectly captures the essence of Agrovista UK’s recently launched new campaign, which highlights its support for the arable and amenity industries that it specialises in.

The new #ForOurGrowers and #ForOurSports campaign celebrates the hard work of all involved in British farming and in British amenity – particularly following the unprecedented challenges experienced during recent times.

“We are striving to become the best in class in distribution and provide the best service we possibly can,” said Jamie Appleton – Agrovista UK National Supply Manager. “Our goal is to increase the capability of our teams and to ensure that our customers and our people are central to everything that we are doing.

“Historically, in terms of depots, we have centred ourselves on the outskirts of very rural communities in small holdings or farms. What that did, however, was create certain challenges, in terms of staffing, in terms of road networks and being able to reach out to all our customers on time.

“Melsonby, North Yorkshire, is the first purposely-built depot and is centred on the A1 and the A66 so drivers can reach the likes of Cumbria, Northumbria, and Yorkshire with a great level of ease. We can get products to our customers even quicker now.

“When we acquired Maxwell Amenity – we provided ourselves with a great power in the amenity sector and Allscott, Telford, is how we service our online customers. The recent upgrades at this depot have made us even stronger and it is our largest site across the company.”

Scott Hird, Depot Supervisor at the Melsonby depot and Jamie Harvey, Depot Manager at Allscott, were on hand to offer further insight into how this strategy is benefitting both staff and customers.

Melsonby

“We feel that we are now closer to our customers,” said Scott. “The Melsonby depot was built to replace a depot in Malpas, and it is much larger in size. We can hold more stock and we are delivering more products in a day than we ever did before. Because we are now closer to our customers, some even come directly to us to pick the products up if they really need them.

“Furthermore, the staff are all now on long-term contracts to ensure that we are more suited to the customers’ needs. They feel more valued and understand that there is always training available and opportunities for them to move through the business. It is a great atmosphere to be in daily.

“We had a clear vision of what we wanted to create at Melsonby and it is exactly how we wanted it to be. It wouldn’t have been possible without the team that were working at Malpas – we are working hard to keep the high standards that they originally set.”

Allscott

“It is a highly professional and slick operation,” said Jamie Harvey. “We have re-racked the entire warehouse; the front offices have had a major renovation and look fantastic, and we are also developing a new warehouse.

“We have the resources in place to ensure that everybody gets the same service regardless of if they are a first-time buyer or have spent two million pounds on our products. Improving customer service was always top of the agenda and these upgrades have helped us to achieve this.

“The staff are also a lot happier. It is nice to work for a company where employee welfare is a massive part of what they are trying to accomplish. We’re not just numbers and that makes a huge difference.”

For more information about Agrovista Amenity, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/

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Etesia celebrates 30 years in the UK

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Etesia celebrates 30 years in the UK: Etesia is celebrating 30 successful years of operating in the UK.

In 1991 French based company Etesia set-up a headquarters in the Midlands with a limited product range – just one ride-on mower and a pedestrian mower to be precise. However, the two products put Etesia’s name on the map and word quickly spread as to just how technologically advanced this innovative brand was.

Etesia celebrates 30 years in the UK

Etesia celebrates 30 years in the UK

Fast forward to June 2021 and Etesia has become a major player in the professional market with a multitude of products covering every inch of the UK. Year on year, Etesia UK continues to grow with an expanding list of dealers promoting the Etesia and Pellenc brands, and the past 12 months has been no exception despite the pandemic.

“How time flies,” said Managing Director Les Malin. “It does not seem that long since we celebrated 25 years and now, here we are 5 years later, celebrating 30 years in the UK – but what a 5 years it has been.

“The industry in general has seen its fair share of ups and downs and the last 18 months have disappeared completely under the shadow of the pandemic. However, I’m pleased to report that Etesia has seen significant growth in the last 12 months. Battery products are generally becoming more dominate throughout our product portfolio and nothing shows that more than the recent launch of the ET Lander utility vehicle.”

The ET Lander is a fully electric utility vehicle built specifically for use on roads and all types of paths in both the town and countryside. Powerful enough to use for a full working day and with the ability to transport loads of up to 940kgs, this new product is set to be another ground-breaking innovation.

The launch of the ET Lander is the perfect way to celebrate Etesia UK’s 30th anniversary and there will certainly be more innovations to look forward to according to Les.

“This innovative product has been in development way before our 25th celebration year,” he said. “Innovation does not happen overnight, and we will continue to develop products like this – which will help make our next 30 years look outlandishly green.”

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk.

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

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Polaris to attend The Game Fair

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Polaris to attend The Game Fair: Polaris Off Road Vehicles has confirmed its attendance at The Game Fair 2021 alongside the prestigious gunmaker and top UK shooting ground, E.J. Churchill, on Gunmaker’s Row.

Entering its seventh decade, The Game Fair is a premium festival celebrating the great British countryside and is set to return to Ragley Hall, Warwickshire from 23-25 July this year. Bringing together over 800 leading brands linked to countryside living, this year Polaris will showcase its newest line-up of off-road vehicles with specially selected UTV and ATV models suitable for utility use and outdoor pursuits.

Polaris to attend The Game Fair

Polaris to attend The Game Fair

“Partnering with E.J. Churchill for The Game Fair is a superb fit – we’ve got a longstanding history together as they have exclusively run Polaris vehicles across their shooting grounds for over ten years now,” said Polaris UK National Sales Manager, Richard Coleby. “We’re very excited to be working in collaboration with the experienced team at E.J. Churchill at The Game Fair this year: Gunmaker’s Row is at the heart of the event and we can’t wait to engage with customers from all around the country and showcase just how versatile our vehicles really are, with applications in everything from field sports like hunting, shooting, and fishing, to land management, equine, dogs and garden maintenance.”

Polaris will be displaying the new 2021/2022 line-up at The Game Fair, including the all-new Hunter Editions specially designed for hunting and outdoor pursuits and complete with a special edition camouflage design – available for the 2021 Sportsman 570 EPS, Ranger XP 1000 EPS Deluxe, Ranger 570 and Ranger EV models – alongside the bestselling and class-leading Ranger Diesel UTV.

Not only that, but Polaris will also have the range of its next-generation ATV model for 2021 – the Sportsman 570 – on display, featuring a bold, modern design with new features and product improvements, all while featuring the same legendary ride and handling, unrivalled versatility and reliable performance that the Polaris Sportsman is renowned for. Available to view on the Polaris stand will be the base Sage Green option, premium SP model as well as two special editions; the Agri Pro Edition with Geofencing technology and the Hunter Edition.

Polaris enhances its utility line-up with a wide range of new parts and accessories available to customise the vehicle for the job at hand. Choose from the Lock & Ride Pro-Fit cab system for ultimate weather protection, cargo boxes and clever storage options, as well as speciality products like gun and chainsaw mounts.

E.J. Churchill Managing Director, Rob Fenwick commented, “Having Polaris as a neighbouring partner with E.J. Churchill at The Game Fair is an exciting concept as it adds a new flavour to what we’re all about – delivering an all-round premium experience for our clients with the best possible tools available, and that extends to the utility vehicles that we operate across the shooting grounds and estates that we run.”

With both stands combined with an exclusive hospitality area, Polaris and E.J. Churchill will be hosting VIPs on the stand with a selection of typically British food and drink.

Press are welcome to join Polaris at The Game Fair on stand J657.

For a VIP experience, journalists can RSVP for an exclusive hospitality lunch from 23rd to 25th July, for the opportunity to learn and talk about the full vehicle line-up, as well as an early opportunity to book test units for 2022: RSVP here.

For more information on The Game Fair 2021, please visit https://thegamefair.org/

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