Leicester City inspires future grounds professionals

Leicester City inspires future grounds professionals

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Leicester City inspires future grounds professionals

Young people from local schools stepped behind the scenes at Leicester City FC’s training ground for an immersive careers experience designed to showcase the exciting opportunities available in sports turf and grounds management.

Leicester City inspires future grounds professionals

Leicester City inspires future grounds professionals

Delivered through the Grounds Management Association’s (GMA) NextGen programme, the Schools into Stadia event connected students with industry professionals and provided first-hand insight into the skills, technologies and career pathways that underpin elite sport.

The event gave pupils exclusive access to Leicester City’s training ground facilities, where they explored the vital role grounds teams play in maintaining playing surfaces, supporting athlete performance, and ensuring professional sporting environments operate at the highest level.

Designed as a careers and industry insight day, the event showcased the breadth of opportunities available beyond the players and coaches seen on matchdays. Students participated in a guided tour of the training ground and Sports Turf Academy facilities before taking part in a series of practical workshops covering pitch preparation, turf science, equipment maintenance and grounds operations.

The day also highlighted the many routes into the profession, including apprenticeships, further education, volunteering, and work experience opportunities, helping young people better understand how they can build a career within the sports turf industry.

Flynn Good, First Assistant Pitch Manager Leicester City FC, and Chair of the GMA NextGen Board, said: “Schools into Stadia is about showing young people that there’s a whole world of opportunities behind the scenes of sport. Grounds management is a rewarding, skilled and innovative profession that plays a critical role in every sporting experience, yet many young people are unaware it exists as a career option.

“By bringing students into environments like Leicester City FC’s training ground, we’re helping them see what’s possible, meet the people working in the industry and understand the many pathways available to them. It’s inspiring to see the enthusiasm and curiosity these events generate, and we’re proud to be helping shape the future workforce of our industry.”

Jennifer Carter, Executive Sponsor of the GMA NextGen Board, added: “The future of our industry depends on inspiring and supporting the next generation of talent. Schools into Stadia gives young people the opportunity to see first-hand the breadth of careers available within grounds management and sports turf, while connecting them with the people and organisations helping to shape the profession.

“By opening the doors to elite sporting environments such as Leicester City FC’s training ground, we’re able to showcase the skills, innovation and passion that underpin every great playing surface. It’s fantastic to see students engaging so enthusiastically with the opportunities available and considering careers they may never have previously encountered.”

The event concluded with a pitch and putt competition, giving students another opportunity to engage with industry professionals while experiencing the collaborative and practical nature of careers within the sector.

Paige Watson- Quilter, Premier League Inspires Coordinator from Leicester City in the Community said: “The day gave our participants a valuable insight into the world of grounds management, offering hands-on learning opportunities and the chance to explore the skills, knowledge and career paths within the industry. The experience has inspired them to consider grounds management as a future career and opened their eyes to the exciting opportunities available across the sports industry.”

Schools into Stadia forms part of the GMA NextGen programme, which aims to inspire, educate and connect the next generation of grounds professionals by providing direct access to employers, industry experts and real-world sporting environments. By opening doors to elite venues such as Leicester City FC’s training ground, the initiative is helping to build awareness of the diverse and rewarding careers available across sports turf and grounds management.

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Amenity Forum Conference brings sector together to navigate change

Amenity Forum Conference brings sector together to navigate change

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Amenity Forum Conference brings sector together to navigate change

The breadth of professional amenity management was firmly in the spotlight as 80 attendees gathered for the Amenity Forum Annual Conference at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon, on 8 October 2026.

Amenity Forum Conference brings sector together to navigate change

Amenity Forum Conference brings sector together to navigate change

Held under the theme Navigating Change: Regulation, Stewardship and the Future of Amenity Management, the conference brought together professionals from across the sector for a day of lively discussion, knowledge sharing and practical demonstrations.

The programme reflected the diversity of professional amenity management, bringing together speakers from regulators, manufacturers and suppliers of products and technology, contractors, railway vegetation management, turf and grounds management, alongside organisations supporting professional standards and best practice.

Discussions explored the evolving pesticide policy and regulatory landscape, inspections and compliance, responsible vegetation management and the challenges of delivering effective solutions across different amenity environments.

The afternoon programme turned attention to building resilience, with presentations exploring soil health, water management and technological innovation. Practical demonstrations brought these themes to life, providing delegates with tangible examples of how knowledge and technology can support professional practice.

Strong delegate engagement was a feature throughout the day, with questions and discussions highlighting the value of bringing together different disciplines to share experiences, explore common challenges and learn from one another.

The conference also saw the launch of new glyphosate resistance guidance, developed in partnership with the Weed Resistance Action Group (WRAG), reinforcing the Forum’s commitment to providing practical guidance and supporting best practice across the sector.

Speaking following her first annual conference since taking up the Executive Officer role in May 2026, Corrina Urquhart said:

“One of the real strengths of the Amenity Forum is the diversity of the sector it represents. Although our members work in very different environments, they face many shared challenges. What was particularly encouraging was the level of engagement throughout the day and the genuine appetite to exchange ideas, share experiences and learn from one another.

“At a time when the pesticide policy and regulatory landscape is evolving, bringing together regulatory insight, operational experience and practical innovation is more important than ever. We’re building on the Forum’s progress, strengthening relationships and working with members and stakeholders to shape our longer-term priorities.”

Members of the Amenity Forum Board also played an active role in the conference, chairing sessions and helping to facilitate discussions throughout the day.

The Amenity Forum extends its sincere thanks to all speakers and session chairs for sharing their expertise and contributing to the day’s discussions, and to delegates for their enthusiastic participation.

Special thanks go to Kate Hopkins, whose many years of dedication to organising the annual conference continue to play an important part in its success.

The Forum also thanks conference sponsors Complete Weed Control, Languard, NSTS, BASIS, Lantra, ProGreen, ICL, Origin Amenity Solutions, Grounds Management Association and Weedfree for their valued support.

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All Things Rural becomes ATR Seed Limited

All Things Rural becomes ATR Seed Limited

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All Things Rural becomes ATR Seed Limited 

Specialist seed wholesaler announces £3M internal capital investment and secures new international partnership with Feldsaaten Freudenberger

All Things Rural becomes ATR Seed Limited

All Things Rural becomes ATR Seed Limited

All Things Rural, a successful wholesale seed supplier established in 2004, has today announced an internally funded £3M investment to upgrade their existing site facilities and purchase new land for future site development confirms the company’s CEO Will Compson.

In conjunction with this, the company has simultaneously unveiled both a comprehensive corporate rebrand and secured an international partnership with German-based Feldsaaten Freudenberger, Europe’s second largest grass seed supplier.

Effective immediately, the UK business will operate under its new name, ATR Seed Limited, as part of a major rebranding initiative.

Mr Compson says” The new investment will enable ATR Seed to expand and further develop our existing Willicote site, modernise our manufacturing infrastructure and, invest in further storage and distribution. The Willicote investment has also included the purchase of the UK’s largest grass seed mixer, offering the business a mixing capacity of over 120t /day, enabling us to further improve the quality, output and range of products we currently supply to our customers.

“By future proofing the business in this way we can substantially increase our current buying power, offering customers an even more comprehensive range of seed mixtures than the 750 species we currently hold in stock for the agricultural, amenity, game cover, trees and wildflower sectors, whilst retaining both the quality and supply efficiency they have come to expect since the business began in 2004.

“The new strategic alliance with Feldsaaten Freudenberger is also crucial to our ambitions for long-term growth in the UK” he confirms.

Rene Freudenberger, CEO of Feldsaaten Freudenberger, adds “Today’s announcement represents the beginning of an exciting new era for both companies, our employees, and most importantly, our customers.

“We have watched All Things Rural achieve remarkable momentum in the last 22 years. Their team, culture, and core principles focusing on speed, quality and ongoing investment to continually meet customer expectations align strongly with our own values. This internal investment gives ATR a strong financial platform for growth, and our new international partnership will offer them access to an even greater seed supply network”

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Dealers gather to celebrate 80 Years of GKB Group

Dealers gather to celebrate 80 Years of GKB Group

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Dealers gather to celebrate 80 Years of GKB Group

Dealers from all corners of the world recently gathered at the GKB factory in Barendrecht, to celebrate 80 years of the GKB Group. In a two-day event, attendees were invited to reflect on eight decades of engineering expertise and treated to an exciting look ahead at what the future holds for all areas of the business – including new innovations in the GKB Machines portfolio.

Dealers gather to celebrate 80 Years of GKB Group

Dealers gather to celebrate 80 Years of GKB Group

Representatives from GKB’s global dealer network joined suppliers and friends for a company-wide celebration which marked not only 80 years of the GKB Group, but 40 years of GKB Machines. As a separate division since 1985, but still very much following the family ethos of the wider operation, GKB Machines has gained a reputation as an innovator in maintenance equipment – using knowledge and experience from the company’s contracting arm to design and deliver robust and reliable solutions to all modern turf maintenance requirements.

A series of presentations from speakers including Managing Director Jan-Willem Kraaijeveld explored the story of GKB, from its origins and development over the past 80 years through to its current position and future ambitions. Alongside the presentations, attendees had the opportunity to see a selection of GKB Machines’ latest equipment, providing a practical showcase of the solutions available across the company’s range for both natural and artificial surfaces.

The first evening saw attendees enjoy a gala BBQ dinner with opportunity here, and the following day, to share knowledge and experiences, strengthen relationships and celebrate the collective contribution of GKB’s dealers to the company’s success.

“It was fantastic to be a part of an event that brought together people from across the entire GKB network, with one objective which was to celebrate everything that’s been achieved over the last eight decades” comments UK Operations Manager Tom Shinkins. “We’d like to extend a massive thank you to everyone who took the time out to attend and look forward to exploring lots of exiting opportunities with the GKB brand together in the many years to come.”

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