Two Toro powerhouses for Pangbourne

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Two Toro powerhouses for Pangbourne: Pangbourne College is one of the first customers to snap up the latest powerhouse from Toro to tackle all terrains: the new Toro Workman UTX 4×4 utility vehicle. Joining it is Toro Groundsmaster 4300 rotary mower to lead the venue’s growing fleet of machines.

Head groundsman Ian Osbon says the Toro machines are an ongoing investment he’s proud to make in the grounds maintenance of the 234 acre independent school which includes hockey, rugby and cricket pitches as well as woodlands and gardens in Berkshire.

Two Toro powerhouses for Pangbourne

Two Toro powerhouses for Pangbourne

From the moment Ian arrived in 2010, he was faced with projects requiring machinery muscle including levelling out the grounds and incorporating new drainage systems: “It’s been so important to get the right machinery,” he says. “I had a few machines that weren’t strong enough for our needs.”

Determined not to face similar issues going forward, Ian opted for Toro’s robust four-wheel drive, full-sized utility vehicle which has 25 percent more cargo capacity than that of others in its class and a towing capacity of up to 2000lbs.

Ian comments: “I was instantly impressed with the machine’s strength and stamina. The electric tipper is noticeably stronger than the piston system we had in our previous utility vehicle which wasn’t strong enough for grounds maintenance. It has great manoeuvrability for working in our woodlands and getting around tree stumps and logs, but with the option of higher RPMs it’s powerful enough to haul heavier loads up hills and inclines and get over wet areas and hillsides easily.”

First up on the Workman UTX’s to-do list is helping out with a wildflower meadows project, landscaping and lots of planting, explains Ian: “We have big plans for our wildflower meadows and there are beds, borders, rewilding and planting work to do too, as well as transporting tools and lugging soil. The UTX ticks all the boxes for getting this work done.”

Plus, it’s road-ready, which Ian says has been convenient for the multi-site venue: “It’s been so handy being able to tow and transport to the school a little way away.”

Also involved in the order with distributor Reesink Turfcare is Toro’s Grandmaster 4300 rotary mower, which after proving itself to Ian and his team of three over five years of leasing it, Ian has decided to buy.

“Originally, I wanted a cylinder mower, but I knew the grounds here wouldn’t suit it, we’d risk ruining the blades, so we went down the rotary route,” he explains. “It was the right thing to do for both productivity and cost savings for maintenance and servicing.”

But it’s not just Ian and his team who approve of the Toro machines, the students’ parents do too! “Sport is a major aspect of life at college and there are students on high performance pathways,” explains Ian. “We’ve got the cricket square up to the same level of any professional cricket club and it’s good for the parents to see where investment into the college goes. When we have sporting events or open days and line up all the machines so they can see, the dads are always asking if they can have a go!”

To see how Toro grounds machinery can benefit your venue, call Reesink Turfcare on 01480 226800 or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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GMA NextGen Inspires Youngsters at Schools into Stadia

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GMA NextGen Inspires Youngsters at Schools into Stadia: As part of #GroundsWeek 2024, the organisation’s annual awareness campaign, the GMA’s newly refreshed NextGen (previously Young Board of Directors) hosted a Schools into Stadia event at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol on Tuesday 19 March.

The Schools into Stadia programme aims to showcase grounds management as a viable career pathway for young people in education. With support from the GMA, Reesink Turfcare and Bristol Bears Foundation, GMA NextGen member Jack Langley hosted the event which offered youngsters local to Bristol the opportunity to gain valuable experience and provide the group with a deeper understanding of what duties a groundsperson undertakes in their role.

GMA NextGen Inspires Youngsters at Schools into Stadia

GMA NextGen Inspires Youngsters at Schools into Stadia

A group of students were invited along to the home of Bristol City FC and Bristol Bears to take part in theoretical and practical learning. The group was split into two, with one half guided through an interactive theory session which touched on the various forms of grass seed, how it grows, and how to keep it healthy. The other group were taken onto the pitch and given the opportunity to interact with the various pieces of kit, even having a go at line-marking the pitch and deepening their knowledge of various day-to-day tasks a grounds person undertakes.

GMA Key Account Manager for football, Tom Rowley, then delivered a careers presentation to the group, highlighting the various pathways into the industry.
NextGen new recruit Jack Langley, Deputy Head Groundsman at Ashton Gate said:

“Inviting young people along to my place of work to give them a flavour of what a career in grounds can look like has been extremely rewarding, especially as some of the attendees have shown an interest in returning to experience work on a match day.

Within my new role as part of GMA NextGen, I’m keen to shine a spotlight on the industry and encourage more young people to join.”

Geoff Webb, Grounds Management Association’s CEO commented:

“The schools into stadia events always inspire. To work with sporting venues such as Ashton Gate and tap into the community schemes that engage young people and bring opportunities to work in sports turf is always rewarding. The insights these days bring puts our sector and profession into focus as a great career option.”

Following a day of learning, one of the students in attendance said:

“It was so interesting to see what goes on behind the scenes at a large stadium. I enjoyed learning more about the equipment and using the line marking machine.”

Following another successful School into Stadia event, the GMA NextGen with support from sponsor Reesink Turfcare will continue to raise the profile of the industry and work to inspire young people by hosting more events and activations across the country.

#GroundsWeek took place from 18 – 24 March 2024. Keep an eye on GMA social media channels to find out more about its NextGen.

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ICL and Syngenta Launch Turf Rewards 2024

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ICL and Syngenta Launch Turf Rewards 2024: ICL and Syngenta are excited to launch Turf Rewards 2024, a loyalty scheme specially designed to enhance turf management across the UK and Ireland.

The innovative programme rewards clubs and companies with points for purchasing ICL and Syngenta products, which can then be exchanged for rewards that can increase productivity and improve turf health.

ICL and Syngenta Launch Turf Rewards 2024

ICL and Syngenta Launch Turf Rewards 2024

‌Turf managers gain access to a variety of rewards, including advanced agronomic and turf maintenance tools, and valuable educational resources, encouraging professional growth and elevating standards in turf care.

‌This year, the scheme welcomes AIM, Syngenta’s new one-box fungicide programme, offering an impressive 40 points. Additionally, the European Turfgrass Laboratories Organic Matter Profile Test, redeemable for 20 points, joins the list of rewards, underscoring the scheme’s focus on practical, impactful benefits for turf professionals.

‌In reflection of its growing popularity and effectiveness, the Turf Rewards website has been comprehensively overhauled for 2024, making the process of accruing points and enhancing operational efficiency even more straightforward for everyone involved in turf management.

‌Turf professionals are encouraged to join Turf Rewards 2024 to elevate their turf management practices. For detailed information and to start reaping the benefits, please visit www.turfrewards.com for the UK scheme and www.turfrewards.ie for the Republic of Ireland scheme.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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St Andrews Links Trust recognised for Best Sustainability Project

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St Andrews Links Trust recognised for Best Sustainability Project: St Andrews Links Trust won the prestigious Best Sustainability Project at the Scottish Golf Tourism Awards in association with Luxe Scot in recognition of its outstanding work in driving sustainability and climate action. 

Sustainable golf featured prominently at the 11th awards ceremony, held last night (Thursday 21st March) at the five-star National Trust for Scotland’s Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre.

St Andrews Links

St Andrews Links

 

Supported by the GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation, the international not-for-profit dedicated to helping accelerate sustainability and climate action in and through golf, the Awards judging panel shortlisted five outstanding projects from across Scotland.

The finalists of Askernish Golf Club, Carnoustie Golf Links, Machrihanish Dunes Golf Club, Royal Dornoch Golf Club and St Andrews Links Trust demonstrated outstanding commitment and impacts across the sustainable golf framework of fostering nature, conserving resources, taking climate action and strengthening communities.

However, it was the work that St. Andrews Links Trust do on renewable energy, dune restoration and wildlife conservation, especially the scale and extent of their collaboration with universities and various external agencies, which caught the eye of the judging panel.

Alan Grant, Director, Partnerships and Engagement, GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation, said: “Congratulations to St Andrews Links Trust on an inspiring project, and indeed to all the finalists for the collective drive and ambition from so many across golf in Scotland to protect and promote nature, contribute to the circular economy and increase the social value. Their actions are a shining example to clubs across Scotland and beyond.”

VisitScotland, the national body for the development and promotion of tourism in Scotland, has significantly boosted golf’s efforts in sustainability and climate action through its partnership with GEO Sustainable Golf Foundation. The ongoing partnership continues to establish connections and alignment between VisitScotland’s responsible tourism goals, and the sustainability activities being carried out through the leading golf tournaments in Scotland as well as club engagement.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland Director of Events, said: “We all recognise the importance of protecting our magnificent courses and landscapes, which make Scotland such a unique destination. Congratulations to St Andrews Links Trust on winning Best Sustainability Project at the Scottish Golf Tourism Awards for their working on bringing sustainability and green tourism to the home of golf.”

Scottish Golf shares the same vision, offering ongoing encouragement and support to clubs. Through their partnership with GEO Foundation, all clubs in Scotland can freely get involved, adopting the new Sustainable Golf Pledge, utilising the free OnCourse support programme, and accessing annual reports of key data and practices, and carbon footprints, and attaining certification for sustainable golf.

Andrew Baptie, Head of Club Services at Scottish Golf said: “Sustainability in golf has long been on the agenda for Scottish Golf, and with the support of GEO Foundation we’ve been able to provide tangible assistance to golf clubs who are looking to progress their ambitions in this area. We all appreciate the scale of the golf estate across Scotland, and how it can be harnessed for positive change. It’s wonderful to see sustainability work in golf clubs recognised and celebrated as it becomes key to ensuring our clubs continue to thrive in the future.”

The Scottish Golf Tourism Awards play a pivotal role in promoting sustainable practices within the golf tourism industry, inspiring clubs worldwide to embrace environmental and social impact. By acknowledging and celebrating these achievements, the awards aim to encourage continuous innovation and progress towards a more sustainable future for golf tourism in Scotland and beyond.

Other award winners on the evening included Royal Dornoch, Gleneagles and Durness among others.

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York House School uses Polaris Ranger

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York House School uses Polaris Ranger: Customer use of the Polaris RANGER is diverse and far-reaching, ranging from agriculture and forestry to wildlife sanctuaries and conservation; but sometimes the stories that are the most heartwarming are those where a small decision has made a huge impact on someone’s happiness.

Enter York House School and their decision to use the RANGER to improve a student’s educational experience.

York House School uses Polaris Ranger

York House School uses Polaris Ranger

Located in Hertfordshire, York House School is a leading co-educational independent school for girls and boys aged 3 to 13, set in a historic listed building alongside modern purpose-built school facilities nestled within a beautiful 50-acre site. A year ago, the Estate Management team chose to purchase a Polaris RANGER XP 1000 Crew from their local Polaris dealer, Taylors Tools, for a variety of reasons, the most significant being its ability to safely transport a student with a medical condition to outside areas of the school; allowing him to join his classmates in the fields for outdoor education for the first time.

Jason Jaekel, Estate Manager said: “The Polaris has truly transformed a particular pupil’s experience here at York House School, which is something we’re very proud of. With specific risk assessment criteria that need to be met before he can be transported in a vehicle, we meticulously tested a range of UTVs and found that, during our test of the Ranger, the safety equipment built into the Polaris was extremely comprehensive. The RANGER XP 1000 has a three-point safety belt which is vital, the seats are also very comfortable, and it rides smoothly over off-road terrain, so we are now able to safely and confidently escort this student, and any other students that need it, around the site.”

York House School prides itself on providing a broad and enjoyable education for its pupils, encouraging wonder and adventure throughout the learning experience; a sentiment that is similar to Polaris’ own “Think Outside” motif. Now, with the introduction of the Polaris RANGER, York House School continues to ensure all of its students can enjoy its extensive facilities—including its multi-use sports pitch and smallholding with rescue animals—as well as its huge range of co-curricular activities and clubs.

The RANGER XP 1000 Crew model features 33 centimetres of ground clearance, along with 27.9 centimetres of suspension travel on the front and rear, smoothing out even the most severe ruts and rough terrain. There’s also a three-mode throttle control switch with standard, work and performance settings for optimal throttle control and performance. Inside, the RANGER Crew features contour-fit bench-style seats for up to 6 riders, as well as electronic power steering and a premium tilting steering wheel.

Outside of student transport, the RANGER has a number of other uses that aid the school environment, including the ability to showcase the school grounds to prospective students and parents with space for up to 6 riders, and offering a transportation option for parents, grandparents and guests in any weather.

Jaekel continued: “We’ve fitted a full cab with a roof, doors, and a heater system, so we can take guests on tours in all weather conditions and temperatures, maintaining a high standard of comfort whilst showcasing our fantastic facilities. Not only that, we have previously driven parents and grandparents to the far fields so they can watch their children or grandchildren playing sports from a safe and warm environment – the tip-out windshield helps to see everything from the comfort of the cab.”

When it comes to estate work across the 50-acre site, the RANGER comes into its own, easily accessing every metre of the school’s grounds thanks to its on-demand all-wheel drive. In contrast, its Versatrac Turf mode feature that unlocks the rear differential and drives just one rear wheel means that the Estate Management team can drive on the sports grounds without marking or tearing up the grass, also meaning the team can access these areas in all conditions without concern; even in the wet.

For more information on York House School, please visit their website here.

For more information on the Polaris RANGER, please visit the Polaris Britain website here.

To discover more ways that RANGER is helping customers around the world, check out our Ranger Stories series on YouTube.

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