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BIGGA and ICL reveal scholarship participants

October 26, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Karl Hansell

BIGGA and ICL reveal scholarship participants: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) and Premium Partner ICL have revealed the five participants of the eighth ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship. From a remote links course on the north coast of Scotland to a nine-hole championship venue close to central London, the ICL Continue to […]

GroundsFest Announces Education Fund

October 26, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

GroundsFest Announces Education Fund: Organisers of GroundsFest have announced that event profits are being reinvested back into the industry to form The GroundsFest Education Fund. The GroundsFest Education Fund has been designed to provide support to help students at land-based colleges overcome specific barriers to participation so they can remain in education. The aim of […]

BIGGA and ICL reveal scholarship participants

October 26, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Karl Hansell

GroundsFest Announces Education Fund

October 26, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

BIGGA and ICL reveal scholarship participants

October 26, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Karl Hansell

BIGGA and ICL reveal scholarship participants: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) and Premium Partner ICL have revealed the five participants of the eighth ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship.

From a remote links course on the north coast of Scotland to a nine-hole championship venue close to central London, the ICL Continue to Learn Scholars for 2024 accurately represent the diverse greenkeeping industry and how anyone can make a great career for themselves by grasping the opportunities made available via BIGGA membership.

BIGGA and ICL reveal scholarship participants

The five successful BIGGA members have been invited to attend Continue to Learn at the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition, taking place in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, in January 2024. Continue to Learn is considered the largest learning experience for those in sports turf management outside the United States.

The ICL Continue to Learn Scholars for 2024 are:

Chris Hale, deputy course manager, Taunton & Pickeridge Golf Club
Sam Norman, assistant greenkeeper, Abbey Hill Golf Club
Kate Stillwell, course superintendent, West London Golf Centre
Jason Norwood, greenkeeper, Reay Golf Club
Jamie Caswell, Blue Course supervisor, Frilford Heath Golf Club

To earn an ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship, BIGGA members must demonstrate a commitment to developing their own professional abilities by engaging with BIGGA’s Continuing Professional Development scheme. Whether through in-person learning, reading the association’s monthly journal, Greenkeeper International, or by accessing resources on the association’s website, BIGGA members can enjoy thousands of learning opportunities, all aimed at improving their professional abilities.

Jason Norwood has previously enjoyed success with BIGGA, having been crowned the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year in 2019 and participating in the The Open Volunteer Support Team and the Future Turf Managers Initiative. The Reay greenkeeper said: “Living in the far north of Scotland, there is a lack of educational events that you would find in other areas of the UK. Being a lone greenkeeper, this proves challenging to get the time away from maintaining the golf course without it impacting the rest of the working week. The ICL Scholarship will enable me to access the best educational event in the greenkeeping calendar.”

Kate Stillwell is course superintendent at West London Golf Centre, a nine-hole championship golf course just five miles from Wembley Stadium. She said: “I feel very fortunate to have been accepted as there is a huge wealth of knowledge to take advantage of at BTME that I can bring back to share with the team. There is huge importance in continuing to educate ourselves on advances in technology, techniques and knowledge within the groundscare industry. There have been contacts I have made for life at BTME and my hope is to carry on sharing and spreading the knowledge, bringing new people into the industry.”

Continue to Learn at BTME 2024 will take place in Harrogate, North Yorkshire from 21 to 24 January 2024. For further information about BTME and Continue to Learn, visit www.btme.org.uk

The Turf Rewards loyalty scheme from ICL and Syngenta, BIGGA members can claim Continue to Learn education vouchers. Points are gained by purchasing products for use on the golf course. For further information visit www.turfrewards.com

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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GroundsFest Announces Education Fund

October 26, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

GroundsFest Announces Education Fund: Organisers of GroundsFest have announced that event profits are being reinvested back into the industry to form The GroundsFest Education Fund.

The GroundsFest Education Fund has been designed to provide support to help students at land-based colleges overcome specific barriers to participation so they can remain in education. The aim of the Fund is to not only support and enhance a student’s education experience but to encourage more people into the industry by making education more accessible.

GroundsFest Announces Education Fund

Through profits generated from GroundsFest, students will be able to reach their full potential by obtaining funding for a wide range of items such as course literature, stationary, tools, laptops, computers and other electrical goods, driving lessons, and accredited training courses on subjects including machinery, weed management, sports turf maintenance, lawn care, arboriculture and many more.

Commenting on The GroundsFest Education Fund, Event Director Christopher Bassett said: “Unfortunately, the number of young people embarking on a career in grounds management is in decline and collectively, we should be doing all we can to change this. Education is the first step into the industry but the numbers coming through and qualifying are worryingly low.

After several conversations, we were shocked to hear that students are being forced out of education or are being prevented from entering education due to not having the money to purchase necessary items. Our aim was to always give back to the industry through the event and therefore we are extremely proud to be launching The GroundsFest Education Fund.”

The scheme will be trialled for the first year at Wiltshire College & University Centre before being rolled out nationwide. Victoria Fiander, Assessor in Horticulture, and Bradley Tennant, Sports Turf Lecturer, both from Wiltshire College, were instrumental in the development of The GroundsFest Education Fund.

Commenting on the new scheme, Bradley said: “The Education Fund is a fantastic initiative for students to access opportunities they may otherwise not have. Coming from a public school, and a council area background I would have loved to have had an opportunity like this, having personally paid for my own certificates such as spraying, tractor driving, and chainsaw tickets, knowing this is a key area that holds many back from pay rises or even progression within their workplace.

“Working with students, I know they often can’t find work due to travel arrangements. We are located in a very rural area, and having access to The GroundsFest Education Fund has the potential to bring more young people into our industry. Something as simple as driving lessons could pave the way for their future to become an industry leader.

“Land-based colleges are the point of entry for the vast majority of horticulture, from sports turf stadiums to the local garden centre. It’s vital we support our colleges. There are currently only 12 land-based colleges within the UK, which is a worrying number considering you can’t turn your head without seeing something that’s been involved with horticulture in some form.

The industry is struggling from top to bottom and education is the way forward.”

To watch the show highlights please click here

For more information, please visit www.groundsfest.com

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

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

BIGGA and ICL reveal scholarship participants

GroundsFest Announces Education Fund

BIGGA and ICL reveal scholarship participants

GroundsFest Announces Education Fund

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

BIGGA and ICL reveal scholarship participants

BIGGA and ICL reveal scholarship participants: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) and Premium Partner ICL have revealed the five participants of the eighth ICL Continue to Learn Scholarship.

GroundsFest Announces Education Fund

GroundsFest Announces Education Fund: Organisers of GroundsFest have announced that event profits are being reinvested back into the industry to form The GroundsFest Education Fund.

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