Supporting Grass-Roots Cricket In Mongolia

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Supporting Grass-Roots Cricket In Mongolia: When the enquiry came in for a good value gang mower to cut the grass on a cricket field, it was immediately clear that the request was an unusual one. The Mongolian Cricket Association (MCA) were looking for a machine to cut the only real grass cricket pitch in Mongolia, a pitch that is the focal point of the sport in a brand new cricketing nation!

The MCA provides year round coaching and kit to state schools and orphanages, focusing on the difficult areas of Ulaanbaatar where around half of the city’s 1.5m population live in informal “ger districts” on the edge of town. A large proportion of these have no access to mains water, heating or sewage.

Supporting Grass-Roots Cricket In Mongolia

Great social inequality exists here and the MCA want to create a community where sport is the common denominator and where friendships can be made irrespective of wealth or social standing. Now coaching 250 kids a week from 10 different schools, 40% of which are girls and young women, they are certainly well on the way to achieving their mission.

“I was very touched by the work they do and in particular how they raised the USD 50K to build that first pitch in 2016”, said Richard Taylor, MD of RT Machinery. “It just felt like the right thing to do to ship them one of our Junior Tow n Mow gang mowers, together with a few spare cylinders, with our compliments, as our way of helping them further with their mission. It’s not often you can do something that has such wide-reaching benefits!”

Battulga Gombo, or Tulga as he is better known, is the heart of cricket in Mongolia and the association’s head. He says “It has been a long path for the association to get to where we have in terms of funding. Firstly was the fundraising for the pitch itself, then the nets and concrete, then the containers and the pavilion. The last item on the list of big expenses was for a mower.”

Supporting Grass-Roots Cricket In Mongolia

“As a small NGO, the mower is for us a large piece of capital equipment, and we expected that we would not be able to save up enough to buy one for at least another year. To receive it as a gift from so far away by people that have not come and seen the kids starting out in cricket and having fun, demonstrates an extremely kind, generous and outward looking attitude.”

“Now all efforts, both fundraising and energy, can go towards coaching the kids and building participation, in particular introducing the sport to the secondary school system, as requested by the Minister for Education! We have a long way to go, so if you would like to get involved, please contact us on the ‘Cricket Mongolia’ Facebook page.“

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Toro Praised At Stirling Golf Club

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Toro Praised At Stirling Golf Club: Lying on a tilted slab of ancient volcanic lava in front of the historic Stirling Castle is Stirling Golf Club, one of Scotland’s oldest golf clubs, which is preparing for its 150th anniversary with a helping hand from Toro and its distributor Reesink Turfcare.

All eyes are on the club in central Scotland, whose golfing credentials actually stretch back to 1505 when golfing activity involving Monarch King James was first recorded, as it prepares for its anniversary. But with a carefully constructed Toro fleet the pressure to keep the course up to standard is under control, says course manager, James Lindsay.

Toro Praised At Stirling Golf Club

“It’s an exciting time and everyone is looking forward to it, but it does mean there are a lot of people expecting great things; 150 years is a big deal after all! We’ve been completely redoing the bunkers for the anniversary, working with renowned course architect Howard Swan of Swan Golf Designs repositioning, reshaping and draining them all, which will be finished in time for the celebrations, so members can enjoy a newly refreshed course. It’s important for us to be able to provide the best, especially as there’ll be a full calendar of events over the year with members and dignitaries invited.”

Maintaining such a respected course, James knows having the best turf maintenance equipment is essential. Since his appointment six years ago, he has continually updated the machines at the club and it now boasts a 100 percent Toro fleet.

“I’ve always used Toro, they’re the highest quality and most reliable, so it’s a no-brainer really. Plus, having an all Toro fleet makes it’s easier to train people, which means we can spend more time working on the course. They’re quick to cover the grounds, which saves us fuel, but the speed doesn’t stop them giving a smooth finish. Being 100 percent Toro has improved the club in lots of ways.”

He continues: “The machines themselves are really dependable, but on the rare occasion there’s been an issue it’s been fixed very quickly. It’s comforting to know that if there’s ever a problem, there’s always someone at the end of a phone who can get it sorted.”

With the fleet consisting of a Greensmaster TriFlex hybrid 3420 and two GR3250-D mowers, a Reelmaster 5610-D, RM6500-D and RM3100-D, plus a Groundsmaster 4500-D, Workman MDX-D and Procore 648, the club has built up a comprehensive collection.

“I have to say my favourite to use is the Procore 648,” says James. “Aeration is key and this machine works at a good speed and delivers a tidy finish.”

With the club busier than ever, James and the rest of the greenkeeping team are safe in the knowledge the course is in good hands with Toro – and that’s set to continue as James concludes: “We’re signed on to a five-year exclusivity agreement, I trust the products and service and know what I’m getting. I don’t see us stopping our agreement anytime soon. Toro machines keep this club at the very top of its game, and why would I change that?”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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E-Z-GO 14-Seater At Edge Hill University

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E-Z-GO 14-Seater At Edge Hill University: Edge Hill University in Lancashire has purchased the first E-Z-GO 14-seater shuttle bus to be sold in the U.K.. Local dealer Sharrocks supplied the shuttle bus, as well as nine Cushman Hauler Pro vehicles for navigating the 160-acre campus.

Commenting on the purchase of the E-Z-GO shuttle bus, Fleet Administrator Andy Timon said:

E-Z-GO 14-Seater At Edge Hill University

“A temporary car parking facility has recently opened on campus to provide more spaces for students. However, whilst still on campus, the car park is a distance from the main hub of the University. We have purchased the E-Z-GO 14-seater Shuttle Bus to provide a shuttle service from the new car park to the centre of campus. Instead of a long walk, it’s now a 4-5-minute comfortable shuttle ride.”

Launched this year, the E-Z-GO Shuttle Bus is a 14-seater electric vehicle that is designed to easily transport people around facilities. With a quiet and smooth 72V AC drive train the E-Z-GO Shuttle Bus can operate in indoor and outdoor spaces.

“The new shuttle is totally electric, which means there aren’t any engine emissions, and there is also a reduction in noise pollution,” Andy continued. “The charge lasts a full day and performs consistently across the different terrains we have on site. As well as complementing our environmental pledge, the shuttle gives a great first impression to visitors and students alike. We pride ourselves on providing the best facilities and learning environment around, and the new E-Z-GO shuttle bus is the latest addition to the University’s ongoing investments.

“Thank you to Sharrocks for supplying us with the shuttle bus as well as the new Cushman vehicles. We have been very impressed with the level of service and product knowledge of the staff at Sharrocks and look forward to continuing our strong relationship moving forwards. We are very proud to be the first institution to own an E-Z-GO 14-seater Shuttle Bus in the U.K.!”

E-Z-GO 14-Seater At Edge Hill University

Edge Hill University is based in Ormskirk, close to Liverpool and Manchester. Providing higher education since 1885, Edge Hill is one of the select few to have held the coveted U.K. University of the Year title, awarded by Times Higher Education (2014/15). The campus has also been recognised as one of the world’s best green spaces for the seventh year in a row, achieving another Green Flag award.

Further investment by the University includes its flagship £27 million Catalyst building which opened this year, a £17 million Creative Edge building, a new Arts Centre building, new Technology, Biosciences and Geosciences facilities and a £13.5 million Student Hub. The £30 million Sports Centre opened in September 2015 and allows students, staff and the local community to enjoy some of the best sports facilities in the country.

Find out more about Edge Hill University, here: www.edgehill.ac.uk

Find out more about E-Z-GO vehicles, here: www.ransomesjacobsen.com

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Terra Firma Machinery Portfolio Expanded

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Terra Firma Machinery Portfolio Expanded: Terra Firma has expanded its portfolio with the addition of four new brands, significantly increasing its groundcare machinery offering.

Terra Firma, one of Scotland’s largest specialist suppliers to the amenity and local authority markets, has recently announced dealership agreements with Kioti UK Ltd, Muthing flail mowers, Woods finishing mowers and Shibaura slope mowers.

Terra Firma Machinery Portfolio Expanded

First imported into the UK in 1996, Kioti has had a rapid impact in the groundcare sector with its range of tractors, utility side by side vehicles and WD1260 cut and collect mowers. UK sales of these products continue to grow and the ranges continue to evolve.

Woods high-performance finish mowers ensure a clean, crisp, manicured appearance year after year and the unique rounded front, tapered-side rear discharge deck allows operators to mow with better manoeuvrability – reducing trim time and increasing productivity. Heat-treated, alloy steel blades provide maximum performance and precision cutting for all turf care applications. The combination of a deep deck, baffling and unique rear discharge design ensures premium results.

The Muthing Mulching range is manufactured in Germany to the highest of standards and is renowned for producing high performance flails for the agricultural and groundcare markets. Notorious for their high quality of cut and mulching capability, there are a wide range of flail mowers available whatever the requirement.

Shibaura manufacture professional multi-purpose slope mowers for precise daily maintenance of slope areas. The machines are notoriously high powered, feature a low centre of gravity and allow operators to work comfortably and safely over steep inclines.

Commenting on the new dealership agreements, Allan Wright of Terra Firma, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to further extend the portfolio of machinery offered by Terra Firma. The Kioti product range has proven to be robustly built, well-designed and offers top quality products at a competitive price. We look forward to further promoting the Kioti brand across our territory in Scotland and Northern England and building new relationships with our ever-expanding customer base – we feel it will fit perfectly for our customer profile.

“We are also delighted to announce our partnership with Muthing flail mowers, Woods finishing mowers and Shibaura slope mowers – further expanding our capability to provide our customers with a wide range of quality specialist equipment.

“In my opinion, Muthing flail mowers are recognised as one of best flail mowers on the market with fantastic reliability and quality of finish; Woods finishing mowers are rugged, dependable and are proven to be very productive in terms of area cut per day and Shibaura is unique in offering bank mowers that can cut on inclines of up to 30 degrees.”

Terra Firma is well-placed to offer an excellent customer experience for sales and after-sales support, spare parts and service, and the new machinery is available with immediate effect.

The full range of groundcare equipment will be showcased in the all new Terra Firma Machinery Catalogue which will be released in January 2019.

For more details visit www.terrafirmascotland.co.uk or call head office on 01786 478902

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Campey Appoint New Dealers

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Campey Appoint New Dealers: Campey Turf Care Systems has appointed two new dealers in South America, as it expands its international dealership network.

The Macclesfield based company already has an impressive network of dealers across the globe and the addition of C4 Turf Care and World Sports further strengthens their presence in that area of the world while giving customers in the region direct access to a range of Campey products.

Campey Appoint New Dealers

C4 Turf Care, operated by Dan Manning, who has 20 years experience in the sustainable turf management industry, will cover Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Columbia and have already taken delivery of a Koro FIELD TOPMAKER 1.6 with Universe Rotor and a ShockWave 155 for the Argentinian market.

World Sports has 22 years’ experience in the Brazilian market offering the best solutions available in design, construction maintenance and field restoration. The company aims to offer the best technology in Brazil and has recently seen the machines in use during a visit to England with Campey.

The visit included trips to Tottenham Hotspur’s Enfield Training Centre, Arsenal FC’s London Colney Training Ground, Twickenham, and a tour of Liverpool FC, with Richard Campey and Lee Morgado as hosts. Campey Product Specialist, Ben Taylor will be the point of contact for South America working with both companies – who will be distributing Koro, Imants and Raycam products – to ensure South American customers receive the outstanding service Campey customers have come to expect all over the world.

For more information, visit: www.campeyturfcare.com

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