Kubota partnership benefits charity grounds: The great outdoors brings together disabled and non-disabled children and adults to develop life skills and fulfil their potential at Thomley, a special place in rural Oxfordshire.
Founded in 1997 by parents of children with autism and other complex needs and registered as charity in 2001, Thomley’s eight-acre site near Thame delivers a programme of activities throughout the year from sports and outdoor play to creative pursuits and life skills.
Kubota partnership benefits charity grounds
In the grounds there’s a football pitch, playground equipment designed for the needs of disabled users, and one kilometre cycle track suitable for bicycles, tricycles and go karts. A new sensory garden has been created, and there are plans for a woodland area.
Kubota has a long term partnership with Thomley, and has recently installed its latest G261 ride-on rotary mower to help the three-man maintenance team keep this green and pleasant space pristine.
“Grounds maintenance is just one of our tasks, so having the Kubota mower makes a big difference,” explains David Francis, who heads up the team. “It takes about 10 hours to cut the whole grassed area, and there are different requirements according to its use.”
The football pitch, mini football and golf course fairways require the high level of presentation offered by the three-blade rotary deck, he points out.
“I tend to cut those areas first and then it’s a quick job to raise the deck and top some of the longer areas. We also like to cut paths through long grass for the children to enjoy exploring, or produce a tidy area for camping, so the choice of cut heights is very useful.”
David adds that the compact size of the G261 is handy to work in restricted areas around play equipment and other obstacles in the grounds. It also makes for easy secure storage in a container.
Revised and updated for improved transmission of power and smoother grass flow, the mower replaces the previous G series used at Thomley, and he comments:
“We can see that the mower has been improved with features such as the single joystick to control the cutting deck and collector and new pto clutch and we’re looking forward to getting to know it this spring. Our Kubota mowers have always been really reliable, and it’s so straightforward to do the daily checks. You can’t fault it.”
“We have supported the Thomley Hall Centre for several years now,” says Kubota Tractor Business Unit marketing manager Rob Edwards. “Thomley was identified though the employee forum several years ago as a deserving community organisation to support, and
continues to be a key partner in the programme of Kubota community support activities undertaken in the surrounding area to our Thame head office. We are very pleased to continue our association with the loan of the very latest G261 ride on mower.”
Operations manager Joe Kitchen, who co-ordinates the activities, running of the site and the work of staff and volunteers adds:
“We’re so happy to have our new Kubota mower. It’s a great resource and we take a lot of pleasure from how lovely the grounds look when they have been cut.”
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