Blog Elements - Turf Matters

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

3% pay rise recommended by GMA

January 28, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Ollie Swan

3% pay rise recommended by GMA: Following research commissioned by the Grounds Management Association (GMA), conducted by Myriad Research*, a recommendation of a 3% increase in national minimum salary bands for all levels of grounds staff is being recommended this year by the not-for-profit membership organisation. In addition, the GMA suggests that the ‘bonus’ amounts […]

EPH tank-mix helps Essendon Country Club

January 26, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

EPH tank-mix helps Essendon Country Club: A nutritional programme from Headland Amenity has been praised by the Director of Courses at Essendon Country Club, for helping them get through the autumn and winter of 2021 disease-free. After his appointment in June, Marc Winnan had soil samples taken which highlighted extremely high levels of organic matter […]

3% pay rise recommended by GMA

January 28, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Ollie Swan

EPH tank-mix helps Essendon Country Club

January 26, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

3% pay rise recommended by GMA

January 28, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Ollie Swan

3% pay rise recommended by GMA: Following research commissioned by the Grounds Management Association (GMA), conducted by Myriad Research*, a recommendation of a 3% increase in national minimum salary bands for all levels of grounds staff is being recommended this year by the not-for-profit membership organisation.

In addition, the GMA suggests that the ‘bonus’ amounts paid in recognition of those with GMA qualifications should increase to £675 per band – a rise of 3.8% – extending from £675 for Level 1 accreditation up to £4,050 for Level 6.

3% pay rise recommended by GMA

The increases outlined in the GMA’s 2022 National Salary Framework report are made against a backdrop of forecast growth in the economy (of 6.5% in 2021 and 6% in 2022), as well as projected increases in both CPI (Consumer Price Inflation) and RPI (Retail Price Index) inflation.

The GMA’s recommended national basic salary bands, with effect from 1 January 2022, relate to the minimum basic salary and are not ‘salary ranges’. There is no maximum salary specified for grounds staff as experienced staff in some sectors (notably professional sports) would be expected to earn well above the average in other sectors. If this is the case, these recommendations can be used purely as a recommendation for annual uplift. Bonuses, overtime, and subsistence payments have not been included and are therefore additional. Regional pay variations have been considered, with higher cost areas of the country expected to make salary awards at the upper levels of the appropriate band.

To accompany the recommended salary bands, the GMA publishes sample job descriptions that reflect the typical job responsibilities and experience required for each level within the industry career hierarchy. The GMA recommends that competent and effective job performers whose job content relates closely to the ‘standard’ position description should be paid at the mid-point and upper pay levels of the bands.

Following the GMA’s research, the recommended salary bands for 2022 are:

Job Level	National Basic Salary Bands Per Annum (lower end)	National Basic Salary Bands Per Annum (upper end)
Grounds Manager	£38,230	£59,224
Head Groundsperson	£32,605	£44,750
Deputy Head Groundsperson / Sole Charge	£26,675	£34,045
Groundsperson (Skilled)	£24,946	£31,823
Groundsperson	£19,986	£25,496
Junior Groundsperson (aged 17)	£16,993	N/A
Junior Groundsperson (aged 16)	£14,112	N/A

In addition to the updated salary bands, it is recommended that all grounds staff receive financial recognition within the salary scale for successful completion of a relevant professional qualification, such as those offered through GMA learning. The total amount received should be directly linked to the highest level of qualification attained, with the highest amount, awarded for those who hold a GMA Level 6 qualification, being an additional £4,050 to the individual’s existing salary.

Geoff Webb, CEO of the GMA says:

“The GMA is working to elevate the sector and its perception so that, in turn, grounds staff get increased recognition and reward – such as salaries that meet the level of skill or demand.

“With a stagnant economy riding the pressures of COVID-19, many industries are facing economic challenges, but our National Salary Framework is imperative to shaping the future of grounds management.

“But we can’t do this alone. We must all work together to educate those outside of our sector to help understand it’s value. You can visit our website to find out more about the practical ways this salary framework can support your role or recruitment.”

GMA members can access the full report via their online member portal at: https://thegma.org.uk/user

The GMA’s Training Needs Analysis service is designed to support managers and grounds staff in mapping out a training and education journey. To find out more, visit: https://thegma.org.uk/learning/training-needs-analysis

To improve your knowledge and develop the skills needed to receive a higher salary, see our training options at: https://thegma.org.uk/learning

Gain access to our full report, as well as a wide range of other member-exclusive benefits, by becoming a GMA member. Find out more at: https://thegma.org.uk/membership

*The research was carried out independently by Myriad Research (www.myriadresearch.co.uk) using several data sources for analysis.

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.

EPH tank-mix helps Essendon Country Club

January 26, 2022/in News, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

EPH tank-mix helps Essendon Country Club: A nutritional programme from Headland Amenity has been praised by the Director of Courses at Essendon Country Club, for helping them get through the autumn and winter of 2021 disease-free.

After his appointment in June, Marc Winnan had soil samples taken which highlighted extremely high levels of organic matter – the reduction of which was the key to the plan constructed in conjunction with Headland’s Regional Technical Manager Peter Blackaby.

EPH tank-mix helps Essendon Country Club

Marc oversees all elements of greens maintenance across the Hertfordshire estate, which includes two 18-hole golf courses as well as a driving range, practice facilities and the 9-hole Muntjac Academy Course. “Whenever you start a new role, you’ll instantly spot certain problems but it’s also important to identify anything going on deeper in the profile which is why we had both Headland and the STRI take soil samples” explains Marc, who heads up a team of 15. “The high OM levels were a real concern, so we quickly instigated a mechanical and nutritional programme to bring that down, to reduce our susceptibility to disease before the high-pressure period arrived.”

Key to the programme was Headland’s industry-leading 20-20-30+Mantle Enhanced Plant Health (EPH) tank-mix – a combination of Liquid Turf Hardener, Turfite^® Elite and Seamac^® ProTurf Fe, proven to deliver turf strength and reduce disease activity when applied as part of a preventative plant-health approach. “I’ve used 20-20-30+Mantle previously, but where we would traditionally begin applications at the end of September, we brought this forward to the end of August because of the concerns we had about disease, Fusarium in particular. The 20-20-30+Mantle was complemented with applications of DewCure™ to reduce leaf moisture and this combination, without a doubt, had a massive impact on protecting plant health and saw us get through the whole winter with no disease.”

“In other areas of the course, the goal was to improve the density of the sward via granular feeds. We applied Quickstart^® Maxi Plus which gave us great results across the tees, approaches and fairways, and then switched this to Multigreen 15-0-22 temperature-controlled release fertiliser to see us through the winter months.” Together with the improvements in course condition, Marc has been equally pleased with the support received from the Headland Technical Team every step of the way. He adds, “Because of his greenkeeping background, Peter speaks our language and worked together with us to give us more than just the products we need, ensuring we always had all of the additional data and knowledge to make an informed decision.”

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)

3% pay rise recommended by GMA

EPH tank-mix helps Essendon Country Club

3% pay rise recommended by GMA

EPH tank-mix helps Essendon Country Club

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

3% pay rise recommended by GMA

EPH tank-mix helps Essendon Country Club

EPH tank-mix helps Essendon Country Club: A nutritional programme from Headland Amenity has been praised by the Director of Courses at Essendon Country Club, for helping them get through the autumn and winter of 2021 disease-free.

RESOURCES

CONTACT

CONNECT