Turf News is the perfect place for professionals working within the UK’s vibrant turf industry – keeping you up-to-date with topical news, latest market developments and much more across all areas of the industry.
NEWS ARTICLES

More than £4m to be invested in Milton Keynes park to drive visitor number

/in /by

The Parks Trust Milton Keynes is pumping just over £4 million into Milton Keynes’ most popular park over the next three years to improve facilities and grow visitor numbers by 50%

Stage one of the process, which has been designed by landscape architects LDA Design, involves a £2m investment in Willen Lake, including landscaping work to resolve pinch points and create a better space for events and the creation of a 10,000 square foot Splash Park which can accommodate up to 300 children at any one time.

The water park, which will cost around £500,000, will feature a number of water features, such as fountains, jets and plunge baths, which encourage children to interact. The specific theme and design have not been finalised as the design and installation contract is currently out to tender.

Stage one also includes 300 extra car parking space, a new coffee and ice cream kiosk and improved toilets.

Work has already started, with the in-house parks team clearing trees and shrubs. The Parks Trust is on the verge of announcing which contractor won the contract for the landscaping works, which is due to start before the end of the month.

Willen Lake general manager Rob Wood, who joined at the beginning of the month said: “This is clearly the most popular lake and park that we have. We are looking to push past the one million visitors mark and push north of one and a half million over the next five years.

“Some of the challenges faced at the lake in the past have been limited parking and we’ve had feedback on accessible toilets,” added Wood, who lives locally and has been visiting the park since he was a child.

He added that the LDA design will improve the customer journey around the lake itself as well as offer more space for people to spread out during events, which include regular park runs and a dragon boat festival.

Phase two involves a second £2m cash injection to build a water sports centre which will link the existing boarding centre into a larger lakeside centre with a new café, changing room and other improved facilities.

“This is will be a hub venue for the lake, with good facilities, good visual impact, information and a café. We look to be starting that at the same time next year with a view to opening in summer 2018,” Wood said.

He said the plan was to fund future growth and eventually become self-sustaining. The first two phases will also create new “double figure” jobs, with staffing able to “grow with demand”.

Some of these could be horticulture roles, Wood said, particularly if also combined with education and tours. “We want people, especially in and around the lake, to experience almost a concierge service,” he said.

LDA is working on anything up to five phases with phases 3 – 5 dependent on the success of the first two.

“We have to measure the success of these phases there has to be a return on what we’re doing to allow us to invest in the future phases,” Wood said.

Willen Lake hosts several concessions, including a Premier Inn, an independent café and a Freedom Fitness gym, where Wood previously worked for seven years and managed for five.

Ariens invests in more apprentices

/in /by

Ariens Company has a rich and successful history in engineering in the UK, manufacturing the Countax and Westwood brands of garden tractors and accessories. To ensure the continuation of this success into the future the company recognizes the need to invest in the next generation of British engineers, to build on its culture of nurturing the best talent. The Ariens Company Apprenticeship Programme started in 2014 and the aim is to recruit two new apprentices every year to ensure and maintain this success. Tanya Bezuidenhout, Ariens HR Manager UK & Scandinavia, says:

“Developing new talent within engineering is key to the business’s success. With the current skills shortage in engineering, we’re proud to show our commitment in this economic climate, by making long term investment in new talent, offering extensive training and career development opportunities. It is so rewarding to witness our apprentices grow in confidence and become skilled engineers. We’ve been really pleased with how things have been going and we’re now looking to recruit two more apprentices to grow our talent pool further.”

Ariens Company currently has three apprentices across different areas of the business ranging from Tool Making to Electrical Engineering: Charlie Crago (20) Tool Maker Apprentice – Level 3 NVQ Extended Diploma in Engineering Toolmaking; Max Tod (20) Manufacturing Mechanical Engineer Apprentice – Level 3 NVQ Extended Diploma in Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering and Christopher Duckham (18) Electrical Engineer Apprentice – Level 3 NVQ Extended Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Although each apprentice position is full-time, they also spend one day a week at college studying for a professional qualification.

“I was attracted to the apprenticeship straightaway.” Says Charlie Crago. “Its well-developed pathway meant I was learning from an expert who would take a personal interest in my development and skills.” Max Tod endorses this: “I’m so glad I decided to give an apprenticeship a go. It’s a great way to gain experience on the job and quickly develop new skills.”

Ariens say the success of the Countax and Westwood brands is down to the people who build the tractors. Each and every employee is passionate about Ariens products and they continuously work to drive quality at each stage of the manufacturing process

Stop thief!

/in /by

Polaris officially announces at the LAMMA show that all new Polaris ATVs and Side by Side vehicles (excluding the Youth range) will be fitted with the CESAR ATV System. Security for ATVs and Utility vehicles has become a growing concern and as Europe’s leading All-Terrain Vehicle manufacturer, Polaris has taken this positive action towards protecting customers’ vehicles. The company has formed a new partnership with the CESAR Scheme – the official security initiative of the CEA (Construction Equipment Association) and the AEA (Agricultural Engineers Association) and Datatag, who are the technology partner behind CESAR. CESAR, is already widely recognized on larger construction and agricultural equipment and since launch over 225,000 machines have been registered and are protected with CESAR.

The CESAR System is fitted to new Polaris vehicles by authorised Polaris dealers, and comprises both visible and covert markings which are a real deterrent to the prospective thieves. Should a vehicle be taken, quick police access to the CESAR database provides an instant trace on stolen equipment via Datatag’s 24/7 UK Secure Contact Centre. The system is recognized by national and local government agencies and supported by the Home Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council.

Statistics show that a CESAR registered machine is four times less likely to be stolen and six times more likely to be recovered if it is taken. CESAR is approved by all major insurers and the NFU Mutual for example can offer a 12.5% discount with their NFU 5X farm machinery product policy if your ATV or side by side is fitted with the CESAR system. When you purchase a new Polaris ATV or side by side utility vehicle it comes complete with the CESAR system already fitted and there are no annual fees or charges and no recovery fees should your machine be stolen and recovered.

MANCHESTER CITY FC’S KATIE CROFT TOP OF THE LEAGUE FOR SPORTS TURF EXCELLENCE

/in /by

Toro and its UK distributor Reesink Turfcare sponsors the Most Promising Sports Turf Student of the Year Award at the annual Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Awards to find talent just like the 2016 winner, Katie Croft.

Katie is a driven, hard-working and talented addition to the grounds industry and since she joined Manchester City Football Club two years ago she has paved the way for other women in the industry.

Lee Metcalfe, head groundsperson at Manchester City who recruited Katie, says: “In her first interview Katie showed promising signs of being a successful apprentice. The competition was tough, with over 200 people applying for the job, but her desire to learn was evident and her bubbly character a welcome addition to the team.

“She was the first female grounds person we have taken on, and we are one of the first football clubs in the country to have employed a female in the role, but she has paved the way and because of her success we have employed another female apprentice, Tara Massey, a year ago.”

Katie says it is this trail-blazing that she would like to use her award to do more of; by making a difference by encouraging those girls who, like her, know they want to work in horticulture, that there are plenty of options. “I am so honoured to have won this award and am blown away that I was found deserving of it. Two years ago I had a dream and it has come true. I’d really like to be able to use this position to educate more women about what a career in groundsmanship entails. It’s an exciting time and there are some fantastic opportunities out there for anyone with an interest in horticulture.”
Concluding a successful two-year apprenticeship at Manchester City FC, while also studying at Myerscough College Preston, Katie has won the award, graduated and been made assistant grounds person at one of the best football clubs in the world all within a matter of months.

“When I applied for the apprenticeship at Manchester City I had no idea that it would lead to this,” she says. “I have had the huge benefit of working at a club that really invests in young talent. The training and support system I’ve been offered by everyone in the team could not have been better. Lee took a chance on me and I am so glad I’ve been able to prove my worth.”

Lee continues: “Katie winning the award is of course fantastic for her personally and her career, but it is also fantastic for the club and the team who have invested in training her. We have a strong and supportive team here and these accolades benefit everyone who has invested time in their fellow colleague’s career development.”

Marketing manager at Reesink Turfcare, Holly Jones, says: “Engaging with a wide sector of young people in the grounds industry, supporting and promoting their talents and watching them progress, is an important role for us and sponsoring this award demonstrates Toro’s long-term commitment to the development of the industry. This is a wonderful achievement for Katie, but it is just the beginning and we will follow with great interest her career and look forward to letting everyone know what she is getting up to over this all-important year.”

And with Katie already pushing for the start date for her Advanced Apprenticeship, it looks like there will be plenty to keep up with!

For more information visit www.reesinkturfcare.co.uk

Kempton Park to close, new racecourse for Newmarket

/in /by

The Jockey Club has revealed plans to sell off Kempton Park for a new housing development and build a new all-weather racecourse in Newmarket.

The Jockey Club said Kempton Park would be sold for housing subject to planning permission and could close in 2021, as it unveiled its 10-year plan to invest at least £500 million into British Racing

Sandown Park would also receive major investment to unlock its potential as London’s Class 1 dual-code racecourse.

The Jockey Club is preparing for a planning application to create a new floodlit all-weather course at on The Links in Newmarket.

This site in Newmarket is a front-running option, given the access it provides thousands of horses trained at the world’s premier Training Centre.

This would be a new course replacing Kempton Park’s all-weather operations and The Jockey Club would require it to be operational before racing stopped at Kempton Park.

The Jockey Club said it has no intention of converting any of its existing Turf surfaces to all-weather.

The Jockey Club said it intends to fund its ambitions through its diverse commercial operations and, subject to a successful planning process, redevelopment on its estate at Kempton Park, which has been submitted for consideration in the local authority’s Local Plan in partnership with Redrow plc.

This follows Spelthorne Borough Council’s recent ‘Call for Sites’ to address unmet local housing needs and a decision to undertake a review of its Green Belt boundaries.

The Jockey Club said:

“These combine to provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity to promote the site for new homes and local benefits, while preserving green space between the local borough and London. 

Such an outcome has been carefully considered by the Stewards of The Jockey Club as in the best long-term interests of British Racing given the benefits for horsemen and racegoers that can be created and with the Surrey community already well-served for racing. If development is permitted, The Jockey Club will be looking to ensure it generates in excess of £100 million for investment in British Racing.”

Roger Weatherby, senior steward of The Jockey Club, said:

“A new purpose-built all-weather course on The Links in Newmarket to replace that at Kempton Park would be ideal for the thousands of horses trained at the Home of Racing and beyond, as well as shortening the working day for racing’s people there. I am also particularly pleased that The Jockey Club will be even better placed in the coming years to provide further support to important causes, such as racing’s welfare and education programmes. As ever our intention is for our sport to benefit to the greatest extent possible.”

To read the original article, click here