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NEWS ARTICLES

2020 Conference to go ahead

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2020 Conference to go ahead: The Amenity Forum has announced that its 2020 Conference will go ahead on October 15th at the Kettering Conference Centre. The conference will also be made available on-line to registered delegates.

The Forum will be using specialist conferencing software for those unable to attend in person. Having liaised with the venue and all concerned, it is felt possible to run the event at the conference centre and all measures will be taken in terms of social distancing and related matters.

2020 Conference to go ahead

2020 Conference to go ahead

Professor Moverley, Chairman of the Forum, said ‘’ We did consider delaying the event but we believe that there are so many important issues facing the sector currently, not least the on-going review of the National Action Plan by the UK and national governments. The conference has become an important one for the sector. We can assure delegates that all precautions will be taken and feel the offer of on-line access is a positive step. We recognise some delegates may still have reservations on attending in person’’.

The title of the conference is ‘Amenity Management – Planning for the Future’ and a range of high-quality speakers has been secured to address the issues. Indeed, our first speaker from Defra will bring up to the minute policy statements and will be followed by other speakers covering current issues. It is definitely not to be missed.

For further information on the programme, please contact admin@amenityforum.net  Delegate rates have been kept at a very competitive rate we believe.

Rates for Attending at Venue
£85 + VAT for Members
£95 + VAT for Non-Member

An early bird discount of £10 for full conference delegates applies for bookings made before September 1st

Online Attendance
£45 + VAT for Members
£50 + VAT for Non-Member

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GEO Foundation World Environment Day

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GEO Foundation World Environment Day: Today marks the UN’s World Environment Day. Last year, we focused on how golf courses could play an important role in Beating Air Pollution.

And whilst so much has changed in the world since then, some underlying trends and issues are as important as ever.

GEO Foundation World Environment Day

GEO Foundation World Environment Day

This year we are celebrating golf’s contribution to nature – how it helps to conserve the rare and the common, the iconic and the invisible – and how golf’s global diversity of landscapes and ecosystems (the woodlands, the wetlands, the grasslands and the dunes) all offer safe haven for our wildlife.

Of all the environmental and sustainability issues we face, perhaps no other fits so well with golf – an outdoor sport and recreation that brings people into direct contact with their local green spaces, and the species that live there.

We also highlight some of those Sustainability Champions and leaders in golf who are making sure this doesn’t just happen by accident.  Who, through careful stewardship, are ensuring their courses are as valuable to nature as possible.

There’s also a firm focus on the benefits to golf clubs and golfers. For example, how nature can create new efficiencies; provide natural solutions to course issues like flooding; add to the experience and fun golfers have; and be a point of genuine pride in the local community.

Watch the World Environment Day video below to find out more: https://youtu.be/rL-BNJNFzLY

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STRI launches Project Pathfinder

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STRI launches Project Pathfinder: STRI is pleased to announce the launch of ‘Project Pathfinder’ which forms part of the UK Government’s emergency Covid-19 innovation strategy.

The project will provide sports facilities and green spaces, affected by the COVID-19 crisis, with stage one consultation advice for free between June and August 2020. If required, STRI will also deliver roadmaps to give facilities business plans to assist with their longer-term financial stability.

STRI launches Project Pathfinder

STRI launches Project Pathfinder

This initiative is available to any sports or green space facility that is currently experiencing issues directly or indirectly due to the COVID-19 crisis. This may involve advice on turfgrass maintenance practices with reduced staff, planning applications, potential cost savings, or longer-term options to put facilities on a stronger financial footing such as redevelopment or land sales.

By funding this project, the government has recognised the huge health and mental wellbeing benefits sports facilities provide to the UK. However, many of these sports facilities are especially vulnerable since the Covid-19 outbreak, which has impacted revenue and long-term business survival. STRI aims to assist as may sports facilities as possible to help them on the road to recovery.

STRI consultant Kelly-Marie Clack, said: “Project Pathfinder will provide a lifeline to sports facilities who are impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Our services will fill the gap in knowledge for facility managers who need to rapidly adapt to new financial and practical pressures. This is truly a unique opportunity to reach out and offer advice to all sections of our industry, regardless of budget or location.”

To take part in Project Pathfinder please complete this short and simple survey at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/stripathfinder

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The Worker Is King: GKB Ecodresser

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The Worker Is King: GKB Ecodresser: GKB Machines, the company behind sustainable, reliable and robust maintenance machinery for natural, synthetic and hybrid turf are providing you with the ability to dress natural grass sport pitches in a cost-effective way, thanks to the GKB Ecodresser.

Sports pitches often need increased aeration, especially when wanting to create the best seeding conditions. Combining multiple operations into one, the GKB Ecodresser is the ultimate machine for the maintenance of sport pitches and golf courses. With the combination of cutting discs, coulters and fixed tines, turf is intensively aerated whilst dressing is applied to the upper layer and sub layer.

The Worker Is King: GKB Ecodresser

The Worker Is King: GKB Ecodresser

Developed in the 1990s with the Council of Rotterdam, the GKB Ecodresser also removes the need to purchase and spread dressing. Extracting the desired dressing soil from the existing upper level, the robust machines uses the dressing soil from the sports pitch to bring the overall cost down.

Providing the ability to level imperfections, this impressive machine also carries recycled dressing onto the conveyer belt and scatters it on the desired place. Ultimately, this creates excellent seeding conditions, improves the drainage conditions and enhances rooting. Equipped with a cutting roller, the GKB Ecodresser also ensures minimal operating damage to the turf. These adjustable blade rotors extract soil from the upper layer and the heavy-duty rotor is protective with slipping clutches on each blade flang.

GKB continue to constantly make adjustments to improve the user experience of their reliable machinery, which is why a stone screen and collection tray are made available. The spring-loaded coulters remove the risk of damage from stones when aerating the upper layer and when combined with the stone screen and collection tray a homogenous upper layer is accomplished.

For more on GKB Machines and their reliable and robust range of machinery for natural, hybrid and synthetic turf, please visit www.gkbmachines.com or contact Tom Shinkins on 07495 883617 to enquire about the GKB Ecodresser.

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Doosan Bobcat EMEA HQ wins award

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Doosan Bobcat EMEA HQ wins award: The recently opened Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) headquarters for Doosan Bobcat in Dobris in the Czech Republic has just won a ‘Healthiest Office’ Award.

The new headquarters won in the ‘Healthy Environment and Sustainability’ category in the CBRE Art of Space Awards. The company was among the finalists in the categories of Workspace Design – Industrial and The Most Attractive Meeting Point.

Doosan Bobcat EMEA HQ wins award

Doosan Bobcat EMEA HQ wins award

The headquarters building was built last year on the Doosan Bobcat campus in Dobris and is the centre of operations for the EMEA region. It is home on the campus to the Doosan Bobcat management and approximately 200 other employees at the company. The new headquarters sits alongside the Dobris manufacturing plant and the training and innovation center at the campus, where compact construction, agricultural and other Bobcat machines are produced for the EMEA region and the rest of the world.

In the CBRE Art of Space Awards, almost 250 candidates competed for victory in six main categories across the entire spectrum of commercial real estate.

Proud of the ‘Healthiest Office’ Accolade

“Thanks to our win in this key category, we can be rightfully proud of one of the healthiest work environments in the Czech Republic. With the new headquarters in Dobris, we have completed an investment which, thanks to the concentration of development, production and management of the company in one place, is of socio-economic importance for the entire region and is exceptional within our field.”

“Over time, we have invested approximately 120 million Euros in Doosan Bobcat’s operations in the Czech Republic, and the current CBRE Art of Space Award provides more proof that we have set out on the right path,” says Sebastien Millet, Vice President, Procurement, Doosan Bobcat EMEA, responsible for construction of the new headquarters.

Experts evaluated the new building as follows: ‘In its new headquarters in Dobris, Doosan Bobcat EMEA has included many materials that are typical of the industries in which it works, such as metal, concrete, straw and stone. Among other things, the company has emphasized room acoustics, proper daylight and greenery’.

The ‘Healthy Environment and Sustainability’ category was decided through the assessment of experts from the Czech Green Building Council, who judged this part of the competition and performed an audit of the internal environment for the submitted projects.

“Compared to previous years, it can be seen that the number of interiors that work with the first-rate design wow effect is decreasing, and the number of high-quality, conceptually designed spaces is increasing.

“The proof is there in this year’s winner, which received the highest rating from the jury for the spatial concept and good air quality. The offices were well regulated in terms of CO2 concentrations and air humidity, which is still not a matter of course in many designs. At the same time, the jury highlighted the intensive incorporation of greenery into the office concept,” said Simona Kalvoda, Executive Director of the Czech Green Building Council.

The new EUR 10 million three-storey, Doosan Bobcat EMEA headquarters building covers an area of ​​1561 sq m and offers more than 3370 sq m of usable office space for 200 employees. In addition, there are sufficient parking spaces, including charging stations for electric cars. Investments were also made in the construction of green areas covering an area of ​​more than 7000 sq m.

About Doosan Bobcat EMEA

Doosan Bobcat EMEA is responsible for about a third of the worldwide production of Bobcat products. These include compact construction and agricultural machinery, such as skid-steer loaders, compact track loaders, mini-excavators, telehandlers and a wide range of more than 130 types of attachments. The company also manufactures air compressors, lighting towers and generators under the Doosan Portable Power brand.

You can find out more about the CBRE Art of Space Awards at www.artofspace.cz

For more information about Bobcat and Bobcat products, visit www.bobcat.com

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