Four GMA NextGen Members Receive Pioneer Marks

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Four GMA NextGen Members Receive Pioneer Marks: Four members of GMA NextGen have been presented with their Pioneer Marks as part of the Pioneer Legacy initiative, recognising the contributions of past and present members of the group.

The Pioneer Mark is a distinctive legacy number that symbolises the impact each member makes on the grounds management profession. The awards were presented during the GMA Industry Awards, held at Edgbaston Stadium last week.

Four GMA NextGen Members Receive Pioneer Marks

Four GMA NextGen Members Receive Pioneer Marks

Luis Arregui (#036) is Deputy Grounds Manager at Real Madrid and plays a key role in maintaining elite playing surfaces at one of the world’s most recognised football clubs.

Flynn Good (#037) is a Skilled Sports Turf Operative at Leicester City Football Club. He first entered the industry at the age of 10 by volunteering at his local club. He then joined Leicester City at 16 and now plays a key role in maintaining the club’s training pitches. Flynn was also named Young Groundsperson of the Year at the GMA Industry Awards 2026, recognising his outstanding contribution and promise within the industry.

Jack Leather (#038) works as a Specialist Groundsperson at Liverpool Football Club. Jack helps deliver high-performing playing surfaces across the club’s facilities, supporting the demands of elite football.

Oliver Mahon (#039) is Head of Grounds at Bradfield College. He oversees the maintenance and development of the school’s sports facilities, ensuring consistently high standards across multiple playing surfaces used by students and teams throughout the year.

All four members joined GMA NextGen in February 2025 and were formally recognised with their Pioneer Marks at the GMA Industry Awards.

Jennifer Carter, GMA Director of Communications and Marketing, said: “The GMA is proud to recognise Luis, Flynn, Jack and Ollie with their Pioneer Marks as part of the Pioneer Legacy initiative. The group plays a hugely important role in representing the next generation of grounds professionals so recognising members in this way celebrates their contribution to the industry and highlights the important role young professionals play in shaping the future of grounds management.”

They join the ranks of respected NextGen alumni who have received their Pioneer Marks, which can be viewed here.

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Husqvarna supports chainsaw excellence during Championships

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Husqvarna supports chainsaw excellence during Championships: Husqvarna is proud to share that the brand’s dedicated team competed at this year’s World Logging Championships (WLC) in Slovenia, with 54 Husqvarna representatives from 16 countries taking part in the major international event.

Representing Great Britain and utilising Husqvarna’s elite tools were esteemed arborists Richard Elliott and Mark Edwards and U24’s representative Ben Jones. The trio competed against the world’s best logging athletes and showcased speed, teamwork and technical precision across six classic disciplines. An 11th place finish in the overall team category is to be greatly respected, given the standard of the competition.

Husqvarna supports chainsaw excellence during Championships

Husqvarna supports chainsaw excellence during Championships

During the event, the team participated across five individual disciplines as well as a team relay race, using specially modified Husqvarna 572XP chainsaws. Participants test their skills in activities such as limbing, mast felling and precision bucking.

Husqvarna is not only a main sponsor of the World Logging Championships 2026, but the event also highlights Husqvarna’s commitment to innovation, precision and trust when it comes to chainsaws.

The Great Britain team was selected by a series of qualifying events, held throughout the UK during 2025.

“Competing at the World Logging Championships is an incredible experience,” said Richard Elliott, member of the Husqvarna UK team. “You’re up against the best loggers in the world, so every discipline pushes your skills, focus and precision to the limit. In a discipline like ours, it’s crucial to rely on top-tier equipment, so utilising the high-performance tools from Husqvarna gave us the confidence and precision needed to perform at our best.”

Through activities such as ongoing support of global and regional championships, and innovative training initiatives alongside leading education providers, Husqvarna plays an active role in developing professional logging talent and promoting chainsaw excellence on the global stage.

Please find further information available on the Husqvarna website HERE and assets linked HERE

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Bernhard names Mecagreen as European Distributor of the Year

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Bernhard names Mecagreen as European Distributor of the Year: Bernhard and Company, the global leader in fine turf sharpening solutions, has named Mecagreen as its European Distributor of the Year for 2025. The award recognises outstanding commitment to brand development, customer engagement, and driving sales growth across their territory.

Throughout 2025, Mecagreen has demonstrated exceptional dedication to strengthening Bernhard and Company’s presence within its market.

Bernhard names Mecagreen as European Distributor of the Year

Bernhard names Mecagreen as European Distributor of the Year

Steven Nixon, Managing Director of Bernhard and Company, commented: “Mecagreen has shown exactly what we look for in a distribution partner – professionalism, market expertise, and a clear focus on supporting turf professionals to achieve the highest standards. Their proactive approach throughout 2025 has delivered tangible results, and we’re proud to recognise their achievements with this award.”

Laurent Donnay for Mecagreen added: “We are delighted to be named European Distributor of the Year by Bernhard and Company. Their reputation for precision and innovation makes them a trusted partner for our customers, and this recognition reflects the hard work of our entire team. We look forward to continuing to grow our partnership and supporting turf professionals across our region.”

With continued investment in education, technical support, and customer engagement, Bernhard and Company and Mecagreen are set to build further momentum across Europe in 2026.

For more information on Bernhard and Company’s distributor network, head to: https://bernhard.co.uk/contact/

You can also find Bernhard and Company on Twitter at @BernhardCompany, on Instagram at @bernhardcompany, and on Facebook and LinkedIn by searching Bernhard Company.

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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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