SALTEX announces first round of speakers

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SALTEX announces first round of speakers: SALTEX is renowned for its exceptional range of professional development opportunities, showcased through its industry-leading Learning LIVE programme. 

This year, over 20 industry pioneers, technical specialists, and experts will speak across three stages, including the brand-new Community Sports Stage, over two days – making it the largest free live learning event in the sector. Many visitors cite Learning LIVE, which also offers the opportunity to gain CPD points, as a key reason for attending the show.

SALTEX announces first round of speakers

SALTEX announces first round of speakers

The Main Stage will feature discussions on the latest hot topics and issues, engaging visitors in the big conversations of the moment. Day one highlights include Lee Guerriero, UEFA Stadium Operations and Pitch Expert, presenting the ‘UEFA EURO 2024 Pitch Quality Review’.

He said: “I’m excited to share the UEFA 2024 Pitch Quality Support Program with the visitors at SALTEX. My session will cover the program’s strategy, findings, and learnings, offering insights from the main stadia to the training pitches used throughout this year’s tournament.”

Also on day one, Robert Sullivan, CEO of The Football Foundation, will discuss ‘Funding The Future of Sport’.

Day two on the Main Stage will feature Professor David James, Group CEO at LABOSPORT Group, delivering the ‘FIFA Football Turf Quality Programme’.

He said: “I’m thrilled to be sharing my insights at SALTEX once again. Working closely with FIFA, I help shape new standards and test methods for football infrastructure. This talk will offer an exciting overview of FIFA’s innovative approach to enhancing the quality of football turf surfaces.”

Additionally, Mark Ferguson, Agronomist at All England Lawn Tennis Club,  will present on ‘Raising Tennis Surfaces Standards – From Grassroots to Major International Championships’. His session will cover the expanding grass court season, grass court characteristics, grassroots venues, preparation for Wimbledon, and the growth of grass court tennis.

SALTEX will also see the return of the Spotlight Stage, featuring crowd-pullers in an ask-the-experts-style forum. On day one, Paul Bannister, with 28 years of experience in commercial horticulture, landscaping, and sports turf industries, will deliver ‘How to Provide a Safe Working Environment – Are You Compliant?’.

Day two will see Professor John Moverley OBE, former executive chairman of the UK Amenity Forum, present ‘Principles & Practices of Sustainable Amenity Management’. This session will review policy drivers, key elements of sustainable management, and integrated approaches to management and operational practice.

Geoff Fenn, Research & Development Director at Origin Amenity Solutions, will also present ‘Independent Turfgrass Research – Latest Results’, sharing insights from his extensive experience in turf management.

Sarah Cunningham, Director of Commercial and Events at the Grounds Management Association, said: “We’re incredibly excited about this year’s SALTEX, especially the Learning LIVE schedule. It’s always great to see so many industry-leading professionals come together to share their knowledge. Our aim is to create sessions where everyone feels welcome and can take something extra away with them, we believe this year’s lineup  of speakers and sessions will do just that. There’s something here for everyone.”

For more information on SALTEX 2024 and to register for the event, please visit https://www.saltex.org.uk/.

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GKB fleet tackles multi-use maintenance

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GKB fleet tackles multi-use maintenance: With up to eight different teams sharing the facilities at Leigh Sports Village, it’s no surprise that Head Groundsman Keith Porter and his team are kept busy when it comes to the maintenance of such a high-wear site!

Thankfully they’ve got the assistance of a fleet of equipment from GKB Machines, which keep both the natural and artificial surfaces looking and playing at their best.

GKB fleet tackles multi-use maintenance

GKB fleet tackles multi-use maintenance

Keith and his team of six are currently looking after the stadium pitch, three grass training pitches, two full size artificial surfaces and the three football cages that make up Leigh Sports Village – home of Manchester United Women and used by U21’s, U18’s and development squads along with Leigh Leopards of the Rugby Super League. “Maintenance windows are tight” Keith emphasises “so when we’re looking at purchasing machinery, we want robust and reliable solutions that will get the job done how we need it to, and when we need it to.”

“The first GKB machine we bought was the Combiseeder which we’d had on demonstration alongside a couple of other dimple seeders. Straight off the bat we liked the build quality, and the fact that we could adjust the pressure with water tanks on the front and back to suit the stadium pitch construction as well as the outer pitches.”

Shortly after, a GKB Renovator and Aerator were added to the fleet, for decompaction of the synthetic surfaces. “These two pitches are always in demand and the high wear results in issues with compaction of the rubber infill. During the summer we normally conduct three passes with the Renovator loosening up the infill of the upper profile, with compaction deeper down tackled with year-round passes with the Aerator.” Keith adds, “The surfaces undergo regular testing by the RIB which look at the various elements to do with player safety and surface quality and thanks to these GKB machines, we pass every time.”

The most recent addition is a V-Strong, a scarifier fitted with GKB’s unique CombiRotor and heavy-duty steel blades to effectively control weeds and organic matter. He explains, “Because of demand, we have to alternate and/or stagger full renovations so, when we can’t renovate, we can now intensively scarify as we’ve done this year on two of our pitches. This is an unbelievable piece of kit! We removed an incredible amount of material from one of our rugby surfaces and also ran it through our SIS goal mouths. It cleaned these up a treat.”

Together with reliability and overall performance, Keith commends the back up support from GKB’s Tom Shinkins. “Tom’s responsiveness is second-to-none, whether that’s sourcing us a machine at short notice or answering any questions we may have. The back-up is brilliant.”

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Dennis & SISIS Partner with Croquet England

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Dennis & SISIS Partner with Croquet England: Dennis and SISIS, in association with Croquet England, recently hosted a highly informative Croquet Lawn/Court Maintenance One-Day Seminar at the Bristol Croquet Club. The event attracted croquet enthusiasts and lawn care professionals eager to enhance their knowledge and skills in maintaining croquet lawns to the highest standards.

The day began with registrations and refreshments, followed by an introduction and welcome from Robert Jack of Dennis and SISIS. Robert emphasised the importance of thorough lawn maintenance and the value of the seminar’s hands-on approach.

Dennis & SISIS Partner with Croquet England

Dennis & SISIS Partner with Croquet England

Stuart Yarwood from DLF led the first session by focusing on evaluating and preparing croquet lawns. Participants gained insights into understanding the lawn’s condition beneath the surface. This presentation particularly struck a chord with attendee Martin Pollard, who said, “We really enjoyed the day and learned a lot from it, with the key takeaway for us being that we are not doing enough analysis of what’s underneath the surface.”

Following a refreshment break, Robert Jack discussed how to get the best performance from your mower. This session covered the intricacies of mower maintenance and operation. Attendee Simon Clay commented, “The whole day was really helpful from the initial lectures on lawn management to the practical session on lawnmower maintenance – it was a revelation.”

After a complimentary lunch, attendees moved to the lawn for practical demonstrations. These demonstrations covered essential lawn care techniques, including aeration, scarification, brushing, and mowing. The hands-on nature of this session allowed participants to see the equipment in action and understand its application. Attendee Tim Martin said, “Whilst I knew a bit about grass cutting, aeration and treatments, the day brought the whole thing together and also filled many gaps!”

Stuart then presented on End of Season Renovation of a Croquet/Lawn Court, providing tips and strategies for maintaining lawn quality and health during the off-season. This session emphasised the importance of seasonal care to ensure year-round playability and lawn longevity.

The day concluded with a ‘Turf Clinic’—a Q&A session where attendees could ask specific questions and receive expert advice from the presenters. This interactive session offered tailored solutions and clarified any remaining doubts. Martin Pollard said, “The instructors knew their stuff and were excellent.”

The seminar was a resounding success, with participants leaving with a wealth of knowledge and practical tips to implement in their lawn maintenance routines. Dennis and SISIS, in collaboration with Croquet England, look forward to hosting more such events in the future to continue supporting the croquet community and promoting excellence in lawn care.

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on X @DennisMowers and SISIS @SISISMachinery. You can like the Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK and www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest Dennis and SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers and www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery.

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E J Churchill takes on the Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic

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E J Churchill takes on the Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic: The prestigious shooting grounds, E J Churchill, situated on the West Wycombe Estate of the Dashwood family, has recently added the Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic to its fleet of vehicles.

Built upon a century of heritage and excellence, E.J. Churchill is one of the finest gunmakers in the world. Today, they are the largest British-owned gunmaker, celebrated for crafting bespoke guns that seamlessly blend cutting-edge innovation with the timeless attributes of traditional craftsmanship, ensuring unrivalled reliability, quality, and elegance.

E J Churchill takes on the Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic

E J Churchill takes on the Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic

The 125-year-old British-owned company took on Polaris Rangers over a decade ago to help manage the most prestigious clay pigeon shooting ground in England. Spanning over 35 acres, E J Churchill needed a fleet of versatile vehicles that could be used to facilitate the general day-to-day management of all client sporting needs. Now in 2024, they have expanded this fleet to include the all-electric RANGER XP Kinetic.

Just like its combustion engine counterparts, the RANGER XP Kinetic is responsible for ensuring the shooting grounds are in tip-top condition and ready for various shoots E J Churchill hosts throughout the year. This includes restocking, servicing, and moving circa 300 promatic traps, all made easier by the Kinetic’s industry-leading instantaneous torque and impressive towing capacity.

The Ranger XP offers silent operation while at work, preserving the serenity of the shooting grounds while ensuring the groundskeepers can tend to the estate.

Rob Fenwick, Managing Director of E.J. Churchill Group Ltd, said: “For E.J. Churchill, it comes down to reliability, as our groundskeepers need a vehicle that can serve them day in and day out to keep things running smoothly. Polaris vehicles have continued to provide this to us for over 10 years.”

In addition to its role on the E J Churchills shooting grounds, the Ranger XP Kinetic has been lending a helping hand to the wider West Wycombe Estate, checking on the estate and clearing the grounds to ensure they are ready for shooting. With varying terrain across the whole estate, the Ranger XP Kinetic has proved more than capable.

James Norfolk, Head Gamekeeper, said: “It is the first electric vehicle that I have been impressed by. It’s a very agile, quiet machine that is ideal for looking after the estate. The strength of the machine with its instant acceleration is great for those more challenging tasks.

“The areas of the wider estate are open to the public, so it’s been great to be able to go about the day without disturbing the serene beauty of the grounds.”

Pushing the industry forward, the Ranger XP Kinetic is available in UK dealerships in both Premium and Ultimate trims. The Premium trim has a 14.9kWh battery offering up to a 45-mile range, whereas the Ultimate has a battery capacity of 29.8 kWh with a higher estimated range of 80 miles. Both models deliver unparalleled power and quick acceleration thanks to the 110-horsepower all-electric powertrain and 140lb-ft. of instantaneous torque. With an industry-leading towing capacity of 1,134kg and a payload capacity of 680kg, the Ranger XP Kinetic sets a new standard for off-road vehicles.

For more information on the Polaris RANGER XP Kinetic visit www.polarisbritain.com.

For further information, please contact us or call the Polaris UK Press Office on +44 (0) 1525 270 100.

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Terrain Aeration scores with Hallam Grange

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Terrain Aeration scores with Hallam Grange: Hallam Grange Bowling Club has its roots in a tennis and sports club dating back a hundred years. Located to the west of the vibrant city of Sheffield, today’s club draws enthusiasts of all ages and levels with first-class facilities and until recently the bowling green was no exception.

Well maintained and meticulously taken care of by a small number of members and led by volunteer green keeper, Martin Westley, the green had begun to suffer after last winter and the exceptionally wet build-up into spring. It was known the green was originally constructed on an area used for spoils from house building many years ago and the only drainage was in the gutters around the edge.

Terrain Aeration scores with Hallam Grange

Terrain Aeration scores with Hallam Grange

“Usually, we have a smooth, even, and top-quality surface,” says Martin, “but last winter was so very wet and we started to get pooling across the green. We have done regular vertidraining down to about twelve inches, but each time there’s heavy rain we have standing water. We were certain the combination of the original foundation of the green and sixty plus years of play had led to compaction at depth and lack of drainage.”

Martin did some research to see what was available to solve the problem. He came across Terrain Aeration and spoke to other clubs whose greens had been treated as long as fifteen years ago and were still draining freely.

The Terrain Aeration Terralift system works on the principle of a probe drilling down to a metre depth and releasing compressed air at a maximum of 20Bar (280psi). This fractures and fissures the soil to allow drainage. On the tail end of the blast, dried, milled seaweed is injected. Over time, the seaweed expands and contracts in the soil, similar to ‘breathing’ underground, to help keep the fractures open. The probe is removed, and the process repeated using two-metre centre spacings on a staggered grid pattern. This grid ensures that each probe shot links with the previous ones. Terrain Aeration says the long-term solution leaves little surface disruption and allows immediate play after treatment. That was certainly the case for Hallam Grange. Martin says, “Terrain Aeration arrived at ten in the morning and worked through to about three in the afternoon, and you couldn’t really tell where they had been. We played a league match at six-thirty the same day.”

Terrain Aeration www.terrainaeration.co.uk  01449 673783

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