Elevating Grounds Care with Battery

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Elevating Grounds Care with Battery: Authorised Hayter® dealer MP Machinery has supplied three new Hayter Harrier® 56 Pro 60V battery-powered lawnmowers to RHS® Garden Harlow Carr, helping the site take a significant step forward in its sustainability strategy.

RHS® Harlow Carr has been a long-standing user of the petrol Harrier® 56 Pro, and the decision to transition to the 60V battery platform reflects both confidence in the Harrier® range and the trusted relationship the garden has built with MP Machinery over many years. The dealer worked directly with the RHS® team to specify and supply the machines, ensuring they met the garden’s professional performance requirements.

Elevating Grounds Care with Battery

Elevating Grounds Care with Battery

Toro U.K. Limited’s Territory Manager Ben Kirkby supported the installation on-site, where the new machines were introduced to the horticultural team. Images captured during the handover show the Harrier® 56 Pro 60V models in position across the grounds, demonstrating how seamlessly battery technology can be integrated into professional operations.

Craig Hoare, UK Sales & Marketing Manager for Toro U.K. Limited, commented: “MP Machinery has been instrumental in supporting RHS® Harlow Carr’s transition to battery power. Their product expertise and long-standing relationship with the garden team ensured the Harrier® 56 Pro 60V was the right choice for their sustainability goals. We’re proud to work with dealers who champion the move toward cleaner, quieter and more efficient grounds-care solutions.”

The adoption of the 60V platform highlights the combined commitment of Hayter® and its dealer network to delivering future-ready, high-performance equipment for professional users across the UK.

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Free Sustainability Assessment Tool from GroundsFest Academy

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Free Sustainability Assessment Tool from GroundsFest Academy: The GroundsFest Academy, in collaboration with John Moverley OBE, has launched a free online sustainability assessment tool designed to help organisations evaluate and strengthen their sustainable practices.

Sustainability is increasingly becoming a core requirement across the industry, yet many organisations are still uncertain about what practical steps they should be taking. The new tool has been developed to help address this challenge by providing a straightforward first step for businesses and organisations to generally assess where they currently stand.

Free Sustainability Assessment Tool from GroundsFest Academy

Free Sustainability Assessment Tool from GroundsFest Academy

Through a series of simple questions, the online tool enables users to assess how well their organisation is performing, identify what more could be achieved with existing resources, and discover the skills and information already available to them. It also helps highlight areas where further improvements might be made.

Developed by GroundsFest Academy with input and advice from John Moverley, the initiative brings together practical industry knowledge with a clear focus on supporting organisations at every stage of their sustainability journey.

John is widely recognised as one of the amenity industry’s most respected voices and brings a breadth of experience across all areas of the sector. An elected Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies, he also holds honorary Fellowships from both the University of Central Lancashire and Myerscough College.

Commenting on the new initiative John said:

“It is important that organisations of any size or type demonstrate sustainable practice and, increasingly, it is being seen as a requirement in many aspects of activity. However, particularly at practitioner level, there remains some uncertainty about what steps to take.

Also, many are undertaking sustainable practice to varying degrees but may not always be aware of this. This online tool seeks to help organisations make an initial assessment of how well they are doing already and seeks to create a starting point both for them to assess what more can be done and the skills and information available to them. I am delighted to support this initiative led by the GroundsFest team.”

The tool can also highlight where further support may be beneficial, including opportunities for a more detailed sustainability audit, training, or one-to-one discussions with specialist consultants.

Chris Bennett, Marketing Director for GroundsFest, said:

“Sustainability is one of the biggest priorities for the industry and for many organisations it can be difficult to know where to begin. This tool provides a simple but effective way for organisations of all sizes to take a step back and assess what they are already doing and where there may be opportunities to improve. We’re also delighted to be working with John Moverley on this initiative. His knowledge, experience and standing within the industry bring enormous value to the project.”

The free sustainability assessment tool is now available at www.groundsfestacademy.com

You can also follow GroundsFest on X, Facebook and Instagram @GroundsFestAcademy for much more news, reviews and insightful views

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Campey Celebrates 40 Years of Excellence at Open Day

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Campey Celebrates 40 Years of Excellence at Open Day: Campey Turf Care Systems is proud to celebrate 40 years of innovation in 2026, marking the milestone with a special Open Day on Thursday 9th July.

Since its inception in 1986, Campey has evolved from a small family business into an internationally respected leading provider of professional turf care equipment and expertise, trusted by sports venues, contractors, and grounds professionals in the UK and around the world.

Campey Celebrates 40 Years of Excellence at Open Day

Campey Celebrates 40 Years of Excellence at Open Day

Established by Richard Campey, the company’s foundation is built on offering practical, inventive solutions tailored to the real needs of turf professionals. This commitment to innovation remains at the core of Campey’s approach as it continues to design equipment that meets the evolving demands of modern sports surfaces.

Reflecting on the company’s journey, Richard commented, “When we launched in 1986, I started off in the northwest of England carrying out contracting work, over time customers started asking me if they could buy the machines.  The initial machine that I brought to market was the Greenline Coremaster, Colin Gregory sold 2 to me but I only wanted 1 and that’s how we started off in sales.

Four decades on, our drive for innovation and partnership with the industry is as strong as ever. The Open Day will be a fantastic occasion to share this milestone with everyone who has contributed along the way, and our way of saying thank you with the people who have helped make it possible.”

The 40th Anniversary Open Day will highlight both the company’s heritage and its continued commitment to developing machinery and practices that support the future of sports turf management.

Visitors can register to attend the event online at: www.campey40.com

SAVE THE DATE

Event Details: Thursday, 9th July 2026 Location: Campey Bosley, The Crossroads, Buxton Road, Bosley, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 0PS, UK

To register your attendance and find out more, visit our website dedicated to the 40th Anniversary www.campey40.com

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Top Tips On Groundskeeping From Manchester Rugby Club

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Top Tips On Groundskeeping From Manchester Rugby Club: The team at STIGA have always known their robot mowers were a cut above the rest, but now they’re absolutely scrumming their way to glory on rugby pitches too.

When star signings Mow Marler and Cutney Lawns joined the grounds squad at Manchester Rugby Club, it wasn’t just a transfer… it was a turf-formation!

Tim Holmes of Manchester Rugby Club shared:

“Mow Marler and Cutney Lawns joined the Manchester Rugby Club Grounds team back in October 2024, having signed from STIGA. As part of the partnership, STIGA provided full training on how to get the most from the mowers, and they made an immediate impact. Their work ethic has been incredible! They operate day and night, seven days a week, and we saw an instant improvement in the quality of the pitches.”

Top Tips On Groundskeeping From Manchester Rugby Club

Top Tips On Groundskeeping From Manchester Rugby Club

Naturally, STIGA had to get the inside scoop from the brilliant volunteers who care for the club’s four full-size rugby pitches. Here’s what they had to say…

How often do the robots mow each area?

Chutney and Mow are pretty much out every day from Mid-March to late November. They cut a pitch each in just under 3 days so each pitch is cut twice a week.

Roughly how much staff time have the robots saved each week?

Before the mowers, our team would just about have the time to cut the pitches once a week, but this meant there were also cuttings to clear after, especially in the summer. Cutting each pitch would take approx 90 mins, and clearing the cuttings another 90-120mins. So approx 7.5 hours a week, that is now retained to do other pitch maintenance work, such as slitting and verti-draining

Has this reduced overtime or weekend work?

To be honest, it’s all overtime, but none of it paid, as we have a wonderful team of very hardworking volunteers managing the grounds, but it has greatly reduced the pressure on the team each week

Have you noticed improvements in turf density or overall health?

Yes, very much so. The constant cutting keeps the grass shorter and stronger

How does the cut quality compare to traditional mowers?

The constant cutting means the grass doesn’t get long at all, and it’s kept at the perfect level

Does frequent, light cutting improve presentation?

Very much so. It keeps everything trim and neat. The biggest difference is when the ground is wet or soft, and we couldn’t use the tractor to cut the pitches. The mowers being so light allows for constant cutting without any damage to the surface

Have players noticed a difference in surface quality?

Yes, when the grass used to get longer, it was commented on and more difficult to play and train on.

Has match-day presentation improved?

The constant cutting often means we don’t have to roll or cut before a match day, meaning the pitch is always in peak condition

In true rugby fashion, Mow Marler and Cutney Lawns even marked their arrival at the club with matching tattoos. Rumour has it the STIGA team think they’ve earned a few more for their tireless service, maybe a championship badge next?

You can read more about STIGA’s autonomous robot mowers and other STIGA products here: www.stiga.com/uk/

To read more about the STIGA partnership with England’s Rugby Football Union (RFU) here: www.stiga.com/uk/stiga-x-rfu

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Battery power becomes number one equipment choice

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Battery power becomes number one equipment choice: After five years of educating domestic and professional users on the environmental, health and performance benefits of battery-powered outdoor power equipment, EGO has now concluded its Challenge 2025 campaign with the release of a new whitepaper.  

Summarising years of research and awareness activity from EGO, the whitepaper also includes research from industry trade body, the European Garden Machinery Federation (EGMF). The data shows that between 2019 and 2024, the percentage of petrol-powered equipment in use across Europe fell from 36% to 24%. In sharp contrast, electric cordless equipment almost doubled in use, rising from 28% to 48%.

Battery power becomes number one equipment choice

Battery power becomes number one equipment choice

This is mirrored exactly in sales of new equipment, with electric cordless rising from 33% to 58%, and petrol falling from 40% to 26%.

Drawing on five years of campaign insights, field data, and market research, the whitepaper also explores results from emissions, noise and vibration testing from independent testing specialists, and evaluates whether EGO’s vision to establish battery power as the principal power source for outdoor power equipment, was reached.

Vince Brauns, Group Product Director, for EGO, said: “Our latest whitepaper shows clearly that our Challenge 2025 vision for battery power had a clear and significant impact on the industry. When we began the campaign, battery power was seen as a compromise. Users who had used petrol for decades; could not believe that this new technology could give them the power, performance or runtime that they were accustomed to, and all without the strong fumes, loud noise or high vibrations. With misconceptions at their highest, we decided that it was time to show users the impact that using petrol tools was having on themselves and the environment around them.”

Challenge 2025 was launched in 2020 with one goal in mind: to educate and empower change in domestic and professional outdoor power equipment users to make battery the principal power source and leave petrol in the past. The hope was that by educating users about the advantages of using battery-powered outdoor power equipment, EGO could dispel misconceptions, reduce emissions and noise pollution, and increase user comfort and safety.

All these things were achievable with the technology available in 2020; however, a lack of awareness about the harmful nature of petrol, combined with uninformed perceptions of battery power, meant that mindset was a barrier to change. But now, as technology continues to advance, and with calls from industry bodies such as the Climate Change Committee to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it is clear the market is shifting in favour of cleaner, quieter and safer equipment.

Vince Brauns continues: “The campaign has enabled us to advocate for battery power in both the UK and European markets and has ultimately helped to reposition battery-powered tools from a niche alternative to a staple choice. While there is still a minority who will choose petrol-power over battery-power, due to the data-backed information we have shared over the past five years, the conversation has fundamentally changed.”

Working with specialist partners, this powerful and thought-provoking campaign commissioned market research to understand the attitudes and perceptions of over 1,200 outdoor power equipment users, evaluated the performance of petrol and battery-powered tools against noise, vibration and emissions, made Freedom of Information requests to understand the use of petrol tools by local authorities in Clean Air Zones and generated extensive press and social media coverage to heighten awareness.

While Challenge 2025 was successful in bringing battery power to the forefront of the industry, as the principal power source for outdoor power equipment, this is only the beginning of securing a cleaner future for generations to come.

The whitepaper, The Final Report: Battery-power, now charging ahead, is available to download at: https://egopowerplus.co.uk/about-ego/environmental-ethos/challenge-2025-final-report

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