Greenkeeping Trailblazer Group appoints new chairperson

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Greenkeeping Trailblazer Group appoints new chairperson: The Greenkeepers Training Committee (GTC) has announced the appointment of Les Howkins MG, golf course manager at The Richmond Golf Club in Surrey, as the new chairperson for greenkeeping for the Trailblazer Apprenticeship Employer Group.

The Level 2 Golf Greenkeeper Apprenticeship is undergoing a review by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and Les will lead the Greenkeeping Trailblazer Group as it manages and responds to the review, ensuring the successes of the new Apprenticeships are built upon further.

Greenkeeping Trailblazer Group appoints new chairperson

Greenkeeping Trailblazer Group appoints new chairperson

Les has been involved with the Trailblazer Group since its inception in 2014 and is a huge advocate for greenkeeper training and education. Having held the post of chairperson of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) from 2015 to 2019 and through his role as golf course manager at one of the most prestigious clubs in the country, Les is ideally placed to build on the leadership of former chairperson David Croxton, who sadly passed away in 2020.

Les said: “I am excited to take on this role and following the challenging times every golf club has experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to ensure that golf courses continue to be maintained and managed by highly skilled professionals. The ongoing review of the apprenticeship will provide for this need and produce the next generation of golf course managers.”

Jim Croxton, BIGGA CEO and GTC board member, said: “Les has a proven track record of leading committees and boards in our sector which, coupled with his passion for education, makes him the ideal candidate to lead the Trailblazer group at this time. With the Level 2 apprenticeship having been such an outstanding success in England and with Levels 3 and 5 poised to do likewise, we are at an exciting time for greenkeeper training.”

Fiona Lyttle, Learning and Development executive (GTC), said: “We were saddened with the loss of David, who was instrumental as the first Trailblazer Chairman for Golf Greenkeeping. With his guidance and determination, the GTC was able to build an excellent Apprenticeship programme from Level 2 to Level 5.

“We were delighted and privileged to be able to appoint Les as the new Trailblazer chairperson. Being an active employer and advocate for greenkeeping education, the Trailblazer group and I are looking forward to working with Les to maintain the level of apprenticeships our employers have become accustomed to and to ensure they have quality golf facilities for their members to enjoy.”

The Greenkeeping Trailblazer Employer Group and Trailblazer Apprenticeship programme is supported by golf facilities and governing bodies including England Golf, The Richmond Golf Club, Frilford Heath Golf Club, Colne Valley Golf Club, Colne Valley Golf Club, Gaudet Luce Golf Club, Portmore Golf Centre, Trentham Golf Club and Worplesdon Golf Club.

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Paul Cricket Club’s long serving groundsman

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Paul Cricket Club’s long serving groundsman: Unsung hero, Steve Snell, has kept Paul Cricket Club’s pitch in top condition for nearly 60 years and has no plans of stopping any time soon.

Read the full article from The Falmouth Packet here

Paul Cricket Club's long serving groundsman

Paul Cricket Club’s long serving groundsman

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BASIS announces promotions

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BASIS announces promotions: In a move to support business growth and performance, BASIS has promoted two key members of staff into new roles

Following a career as an arable agronomist, Greg Hopkinson has excelled in his current role at BASIS, and has been promoted to head of business development.

BASIS announces promotions

BASIS announces promotions

“The position sees me managing the new business development and marketing department that encompasses a team working to expand and improve the services we currently offer within all aspects of food production, amenity and land management,” he says.

“I’m proud to be able to promote BASIS and showcase the great work it’s doing for its members and the industry, and I’ll have a particular focus on developing cross-sector relations, whether that be with the food supply chain or areas of livestock production.”

BASIS’ second promotion has been given to Jess Deunert, a longstanding member of the team, who has progressed through the company during the last 10 years.

“During my time at BASIS I developed a passion for digital solutions, design and communication. This set me on a path towards a Chartered Institute of Marketing qualification, which has since enabled me to step up into the role of marketing manager,” she says.

“I’m working closely with Greg to drive and deliver internal and external marketing campaigns with a focus on digital outputs including podcasts and new website features to support our members in their daily roles.”

For more information, or to get in touch with Greg or Jess, please visit https://www.basis-reg.co.uk/team.

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New addition to ICL’s Vitalnova range

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New addition to ICL’s Vitalnova range: ICL has announced the launch of Vitalnova Links, a new product within their popular Vitalnova range of biostimulants and turf conditioners.

Vitalnova Links is a new unique formulation consisting of Vitalnova Blade and Vitalnova SeaMax and was initially developed as a ‘custom build’ by the ICL technical area sales team working with customers looking at new and innovative ways to improve turf health and quality without creating excessive growth.

New addition to ICL’s Vitalnova range

New addition to ICL’s Vitalnova range

Vitalnova SeaMax is an alkaline extracted concentrated ascophyllum nodosum seaweed which has been proven through extensive research to improve turf colour, turf quality, root development and stress tolerance.

Vitalnova Blade is a unique biostimulant for turf, containing a carefully engineered concentration of carbohydrates (sugars), seaweed and micronutrients.

“Vitalnova Blade and Seamax have both been a great success for many years and were often being tank mixed which lead to increasing requests for a formulation that saw both products together in one formulation. We listened and started trials of the combination product which produced impressive results and really positive feedback, so much so that we decided to bring it formally into the Vitalnova range as “Links”, said Ed Carter, UK Sales and Development Manager.

Vitalnova Links is available with immediate effect.

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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AGS strengthens Northern Region

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AGS strengthens Northern Region: Advance Grass Solutions is very pleased to announce the appointment of Gary Robertson to the role of Regional Technical Manager for northern England.

Gary has been in the turf industry since 1995. A former Head Groundsman at Blackburn Rovers and Greenkeeper at Penwortham Golf Club, Gary brings a wealth of practical and commercial experience to the role. In recent years he worked as a contracts manager for an irrigation business as well as senior roles at manufacturer level.

AGS strengthens Northern Region

AGS strengthens Northern Region

Gary is married with two children, is an Everton fan and enjoys walking his dogs.

Sam Honeyborne, MD at AGS said ‘’The north of the country represents a very good growth opportunity for the business which will see targeted investment in the coming months and years. We hope to expand the team on an annual basis to support customers and prospects, alike. Our recent collaboration with Pro Pitch has increased enquires significantly, which is very encouraging.’’

Advance Grass Solutions is a leading provider of agronomy services, products and customer support throughout the UK, with loyal customers from lawncare and small bowling clubs to Ryder Cup venues and Premier League football clubs.

AGS provide a UK exclusive range of high-quality products including: Growth Products, Sustane Natural Fertilizers, Polyon controlled release technology, in addition to well-known UK based suppliers such as DLF Trifolium and Aquatrols. Their staff hold industry recognised qualifications such as BASIS and FACTS alongside honours degrees in sports turf, soil science and sustainable land management disciplines.

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