Online offering for BASIS training & assessment

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Online offering for BASIS training & assessment: BASIS is offering candidates the option to complete courses and exams online, to ensure standards are maintained in the industry and training can continue.

Having worked with the HSE Chemicals Regulation Division (CRD) and accreditation partner Harper Adams University throughout the process, a number of our BASIS exams are now fully digital. Written exams are completed using online exam and invigilation software, followed by viva examinations via video call.

Online offering for BASIS training & assessment

Online offering for BASIS training & assessment

Sue Mason, BASIS exams and training manager, explains that the new invigilation software, QMark, enables BASIS to deliver examinations under stringent conditions, akin to being held in traditional exam format without the need to meet face-to-face or in groups.

“We’re pleased this is now in place,” says Sue.

“We know a number of candidates have either completed their training, or were near finishing earlier in the year, so this gives everyone the opportunity to finalise training and undertake the exams to gain the qualification.

“The online exams will mirror the format of a formal written test. We’ve worked closely with Harper Adams to ensure the software is quality assured so we’re delivering exams in the same conditions,” she adds.

Should candidates have halted training mid-way through the course due to lockdown, BASIS is still offering this online alternative, with the new exam format taking place once the course has been completed.

Stephen Jacob, BASIS CEO, says this online offering means important training and certification can still go ahead, despite the current restrictions, to maintain industry standards and customer or employer expectations.

“We want to ensure all those looking to complete exams and become accredited members of the Professional Register in 2020 can do so. The process hasn’t altered, we’ve just gone digital.

“I would advise those looking to take their exams to speak to their BASIS approved trainer to discuss the next steps to undertake their exams,” concludes Stephen.

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Kiveton Park take pitches to the next level

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Kiveton Park take pitches to the next level: Kiveton Park Football Club’s team of volunteer grounds people are aiming to take their pitches to the next level following the arrival of a New Holland Boomer 40 and Trimax Striker from Campey Turf Care Systems.  

The Yorkshire based club restructured three years ago and moved from their previous site to Wales High School. When they arrived, there was one football pitch on the school’s front field with burnt in lines and plenty of work to do. But now, led by the enthusiasm and growing knowledge of club secretary Gordon Johnson, the club is being recognised for the quality of their eight pitches.

Kiveton Park take pitches to the next level

Kiveton Park take pitches to the next level

“I’ve got a passion for groundsmanship which I found when we moved to the school,” Gordon explained. “The Sheffield FA pointed us towards the Grounds Management Association, and we became members and signed up to the FA’s Pitch Improvement Programme. From there, I got really into it and did a level one course, and I’ve progressed from what I learnt on my level one with more maintenance techniques to try and get more games on. This year I did my level two at Stockport County FC, which was brilliant, and I absolutely loved it.

“It was through a coaching course that I got involved with Campey. One of the FA Tutors told me we could apply for an equipment grant from the Football Foundation and the amount was significantly higher than before so as a grassroots club we didn’t have to put as much money in.

“I applied for it, and the guys at the Sheffield FA were brilliant and guided me through it. I did a lot of homework based on the Pitch Improvement Programme because it tells you what equipment you might need. I Googled searched it and found an article that explained how Campey had done a similar thing with another grassroots club and the guy from that club was sitting in his tractor and I thought we could have that.

“Campey was absolutely brilliant with us. I got talking to Simon Holland, who was absolutely superb. He was asking me all the right questions like do we want turf tyres – which we would have probably missed – and other little questions like that. We spoke about whether we were planning to just cut or do other things with the tractor and we are, so he suggested a manual gear system rather than a foot pedal which is better for the volunteers.  It was advice like that which really helped us.

“With the money we saved in those areas, we were able to get a better quality cutting deck with the Trimax Striker, which again Simon suggested, and it’s a brilliant bit of kit. We were ready to get it just before COVID-19, so the machines were sat in their yard until they could complete the installation safely. But when we did get them, they were absolutely brilliant. They came out and showed us the machines and went through all the care aspects as well. They didn’t want to just deliver it, they wanted to give us that bit extra customer care and go that extra mile, and I was really impressed with that.”

The quality of pitches has gone full circle at Kiveton Park FC from burnt in lines to hosting League Cup Finals, and with the new machinery, Gordon hopes to take them even further. With their own tractor, the club can now look at hiring in other machinery to save on contracting costs which allows them to redistribute funds into their other community projects.

Campey offers detailed help and advice before, during and after purchasing to grassroots clubs who are looking to invest in their own machinery. For more information, contact your local Campey product specialist, dealer or email info@campeyturfcare.com.

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PRO 34R improves the Tigers

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PRO 34R improves the Tigers: Stuart Vause, head groundsman at Castleford Tigers RLFC, claims that his Dennis PRO 34R rotary mower has helped him make huge improvements to both the main pitch and also the training pitch.

In the five years that Stuart has been the head groundsman at his beloved Castleford Tigers, the pitch at The Mend-A-Hose Jungle Stadium has vastly improved – so much so, that Stuart has picked up the Professional Rugby Football League Grounds Team of the Year award twice in three years.

PRO 34R improves the Tigers

PRO 34R improves the Tigers

Stuart’s expertise coupled with the support and investment from the club has made this all possible. When he first arrived at the club, he inherited only an old mower designed for golf fairways which he used alongside his own personal equipment.

“The club has realised that if you want a good pitch then you have to have the correct equipment,” said Stuart. “We’ve spent quite a bit of money now, not just on equipment but on fertilisers, top-dressings and other products, and it has really made a difference.”

In terms of the machinery, the club’s first major purchase three years ago was a Dennis G860 cylinder mower. After reporting fantastic results from the G860, Stuart decided to continue with the Dennis brand and has since purchased a Dennis PRO 34R rotary mower.

“I needed a mower which would serve a few purposes,” said Stuart. “Recently, I have decided to put a lot more focus on the training pitch so I wanted a mower that would provide a fantastic finish but one that would also assist with other tasks such as cleaning up both pitches after use. The PRO 34R seemed to tick all the boxes.”

The Dennis PRO 34R is a 34” (860mm) rotary mower which has been designed to help groundsmen achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance and desired playing surface. It is ideal for sports pitches and lawns producing the enviable ‘Dennis Stripes’ while a powerful vacuum flow collects debris quickly and efficiently.

The angle of the cutting deck and twin blades can be easily adjusted using a single ‘click adjuster’ ensuring the mower is suitable for changing conditions and meeting groundsmen’s requirements.

“The PRO 34R is my main mower for the training pitch and I’m now in a routine where I’m cutting regularly with it,” he said. “In the past twelve months since I’ve been using it, the sward has really thickened and the surface has significantly improved. The finish is so good – it is just like a cylinder mower and the quality of cut is the best I’ve ever seen on a rotary mower. You can also cut and collect with it in the wet which is a big benefit.

“On the stadium pitch, I use both the G860 and the PRO 34R,” continued Stuart. “I will cut with the G860 and then use the PRO 34R to clean the pitch up after the games. It literally picks everything up and it is surprising how much the grass box holds.

“It is an ideal mower, especially as it is just me here. It has a wide cutting deck and various speed settings so I can get the job done quickly which is great if I am up against time or the weather. I tend to use it on a speed setting of 4 but I can always slow it down slightly if I want to take a bit more time.

“The PRO 34R is also incredibly easy to use. There is no time-consuming setting up and you can adjust the height of cut in no time at all. Ultimately, it is an incredibly simple and effective machine which you can rely on.

“In some way I like to think that the playing surfaces have played a little part in the team’s success over the last few years and has helped them to play the way they want to play. We are also unbeaten at home this year and the win percentage has been high. Long may that continue!”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

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

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GKB the perfect match for Parkway Grounds Maintenance

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GKB the perfect match for Parkway Grounds Maintenance: Established in 2000, Parkway Ground Maintenance has set the standard in offering contractual ground maintenance services to several prestigious contacts in the Midlands and surrounding areas.

Consistently striving to deliver only the best results for its customers, there was no better match for Parkway Ground Maintenance than a fleet of GKB machines.

GKB the perfect match for Parkway Grounds Maintenance

GKB the perfect match for Parkway Grounds Maintenance

Comprising of the GKB Quick-Brush, GKB Ecodresser, the Topfinish and SP230 Sandspreader, the reliable and robust machinery Parkway have on hand ensures they continue to succeed in every job and deliver a top-quality finish.

When it comes to the engineering and development of a machine, GKB Machines ensure they provide machines that perform and that every worker would want to work with. Dean McDermott, Managing Director of Parkway Grounds Maintenance, comments “every machine that we have invested in from GKB has been completely operator friendly, not to mention that they are built extremely well. This can be difficult to find. From our experience, all of the machines do as they say and the back-up service we get is second to none.”

The GKB Ecodresser provides the possibility of creating the best seeding conditions combined with more aeration in one simple operation. Removing the need to do complete multiple operations, Parkway use their machine for winter sports and cricket outfields because it’s the perfect for the maintenance of both types of fields.

Being a diverse business means Parkway needed a fleet of machines that could keep up with challenges of their work. A tough challenge that both contractors and greenkeepers often find is keeping their pitches in prime condition throughout the year. Parkway have found using the GKB Sandspreader to sand spread and then following up with the GKB Topfinish on all grass areas is an ideal combination.

No two days are the same for Parkway. From natural grass to artificial turf, it is important for Parkway to equip themselves to provide an all round service. For artificial grass, the GKB Quick-Brush is the perfect partner. Parkway use GKB Quick-Brush as a great tool for the brushing of artificial grass, allowing them to carry out correct synthetic turf maintenance.

As industry specialists, Parkway Ground Maintenance praise GKB machines for their well-built, user-friendly product range and their customer service. Dean adds “GKB machines’ customer service completes their offering. Tom Shinkins, UK Operations Director, is always on the other end of the phone and happy to help.”

GKB Machines are always looking ahead of the game and striving to create products to keep at the forefront of innovation. Dean continues, “Due to the success of our renovation services, we now require more and more machinery within the business and have found GKB a great supplier of these.” Parkway have arranged a demonstration of the GKB Quick-Clean and are looking to purchase promptly.

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.

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First Toro lease deal for Sheerness

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First Toro lease deal for Sheerness: Sheerness Golf Club on the historic Isle of Sheppey has signed its first lease deal with Toro and Reesink Turfcare, citing the financial benefits of a long-term agreement and much needed machine reliability as the reasons behind the decision.

Head greenkeeper Paul Boozer says: “Until now, we’ve compiled our fleet with predominantly second-hand machines and the odd one leased here and there, but that really wasn’t the best use of the money. Doing a lease deal is much better value, stretching our all-important budget further and giving us more of the machines we need for the same cost.”

First Toro lease deal for Sheerness

First Toro lease deal for Sheerness

A close second to the financial benefits of a lease deal in the decision-making process for Paul and the team, is the productivity and efficiency of Toro machines in supporting a small team.

Paul says: “We’re a team of six with a small fleet and we can’t deal with anything breaking down as we don’t have backup machines. Efficient, reliable machines are vital in keeping us productive. As the only 18-hole golf course on the Isle of Sheppey we have a responsibility to make sure we’re always pushing forward and delivering the best quality playing surfaces for our members. We can’t be let down by our machines.”

Being recognised by the county and accustomed to hosting regular inter-county matches and Kent Golf Union championship events, Sheerness Golf Course has a 500 strong, and growing, membership and it was paramount to Paul that he made the right decision in who to partner with for such a vital role.

Paul continues: “Thankfully we have a committee and management team that are supportive of new ideas, want what’s best and want to make things better. With a lease deal with Reesink and Toro we know that every five years we will have new machinery to support our plans and great backup and servicing when we need it from Reesink, and that’s a great position to be in.

“This was in no way a quick decision and has been over a year in the making. Our course is coastal and undulating, and we’ve often come up against the same issue – that so many machines couldn’t deliver the finish required across all areas. We trialled and demoed machines in all seasons and the decision was unanimous throughout that Toro was the way to go.”

In the end, Paul and the team chose the Toro Reelmaster 5610-D for the fairways, Greensmaster 3250-D for the approaches, a Groundsmaster 4300-D rotary mower, two Greensmaster 1026 pedestrian mowers for the tees and the ProCore SR72 deep-tine aerator, which Paul says is “doing brilliantly, particularly on the fairways”. Plus, two Workman HDX utility vehicles, a sprayer and ProPass 200 topdresser.

“All in all, Toro just coped with the course best,” Paul concludes.

All the factors that influenced Sheerness’s decision to opt for Toro and Reesink have been brought into focus in recent times. Investing wisely, machinery costs that are fixed, getting the right backup and support and partnering with a machinery brand which brings reliability and minimal downtime to a small team have never been so important.

To talk to someone about the finance options available and how the Toro range would suit your course, call 01480 226800.

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