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INFINICUT to reduce HAV for Loughborough

April 6, 2020/in Machinery, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

INFINICUT to reduce HAV for Loughborough: The Loughborough University Stadium is the jewel in the crown of the dedicated ‘football hub’ at the site’s Holywell Sports Complex. In June 2019, Team Leader of the complex Kris Nurse took delivery of two INFINICUT® 34” FX mowers, together with a set of TurfClean™ cassettes, which have been […]

IOG announces successful rebrand

April 3, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Ollie Swan

IOG announces successful rebrand: The Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG), the leading not-for-profit membership organisation, today announces its new name and brand, the Grounds Management Association. Following unanimous backing by the Board, a member vote was called on the new name at the beginning of March. Votes have been cast by members via post over the […]

INFINICUT to reduce HAV for Loughborough

April 6, 2020/in Machinery, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

IOG announces successful rebrand

April 3, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Ollie Swan

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INFINICUT to reduce HAV for Loughborough

April 6, 2020/in Machinery, Press Release/by Louise Challiss

INFINICUT to reduce HAV for Loughborough: The Loughborough University Stadium is the jewel in the crown of the dedicated ‘football hub’ at the site’s Holywell Sports Complex.

In June 2019, Team Leader of the complex Kris Nurse took delivery of two INFINICUT^® 34” FX mowers, together with a set of TurfClean™ cassettes, which have been working hand-in-hand to keep the stadium’s brand-new SIS hybrid pitch in first-rate condition.

INFINICUT to reduce HAV for Loughborough

With such a wealth and breadth of sporting facilities at the University, the grounds department is split into teams – with the cricket division being the first to experience the INFINICUT^®. “They’ve used a fleet of 22” and 26” INFINICUT^® mowers for a number of years and have always sung their praises” explains Kris, who has a team of three working with him in the football hub. “We obviously had an opportunity to use them too and were impressed with how lightweight they are and how simple the mower is to set-up and use, so I spoke to Oliver Hall at MTD about the 34” fixed head version.”

“Together with the quality of cut and finish they deliver, the University were also keen on the fact that they’re battery powered. Because of the amount of large machinery we operate on a daily basis, we have a real issue with Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV) so taking delivery of our duo of INFINICUT^® mowers has been a fantastic step forward in improving that.” Since the new hybrid pitch was installed in September 2019, it has hosted over 60 games for student teams, together with a number of external matches including Derby County Under 23’s. To keep the pitch playing at the standard required, the mowers are in use four or five times a week.

Helping with the post-match clean-up, Kris also purchased a set of TurfClean™ cassettes from the renowned TMSystem™. “These have been a god send. We use these after play to rid the surface of any debris and stand the grass plant back up. It then takes less than 10 minutes to swap those out and put the cutting reels in, and we’re straight back out to cut. This has eliminated the wheel lines we used to get by using a rotary mower and gives us a quality of finish that is fitting to the arena and the fantastic level of play that we are lucky enough to host.”

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IOG announces successful rebrand

April 3, 2020/in News, Press Release/by Ollie Swan

IOG announces successful rebrand: The Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG), the leading not-for-profit membership organisation, today announces its new name and brand, the Grounds Management Association.

Following unanimous backing by the Board, a member vote was called on the new name at the beginning of March. Votes have been cast by members via post over the last month, with 84% of those who voted supporting the new direction and name.

Extensive research conducted by the organisation, including the 2019 report “Groundsmanship – Sport’s Vital Profession”, identified an ageing demographic within both the paid professional and voluntary sectors, and a lack of diversity within the existing profile. The organisation decided to modernise, to widen the appeal and status of the profession. The new, fresh identity befits the modern-day approach to the management of sports turf in the 21^st Century.

The new name is part of a wider re-brand, including updated branding and the new tagline – making sport possible. The icon is inspired by pitch markings and intersecting grass patterns. This creates a unified mark symbolising teamwork and partnership with the different elements working together.

The rebrand provides clarity on the role of the industry and is in line with the Grounds Management Association’s ‘Grounds for Sport’ campaign, which seeks to highlight how vital grounds management is to sport nationwide.

The independent report ‘Groundsmanship – Sport’s Vital Profession’, found that 40% of the industry’s workforce is over 50. One in five grounds managers will be leaving their jobs within the next five years and only 1% of the current workforce is female. Furthermore, more than two thirds of community grounds volunteers are aged over 60 and almost all are over 50, making modernisation vital to attracting a new generation crucial for the future success of the industry.

Further research which looked at how the IOG was perceived, found that one in five thought the word ‘groundsmanship’ was a barrier to attracting new talent.

Following these findings, focus groups made up of current members, non-members, stakeholders, Board Directors and staff, led to the selection of Grounds Management Association, which has today successfully been passed by members.

Geoff Webb, CEO at the Grounds Management Association, said:

“Our Board, senior team and members all know that the future success of the industry depends on us attracting more people from all backgrounds to the profession, which is why we’re so pleased to announce our new name and brand.

“Under the banner of the Grounds Management Association, we are ideally placed to promote the profession to the wider public, raise awareness of the vital work of grounds managers and staff and attract a new generation of grounds staff to the profession.

“The support of our members has been absolutely crucial, and now means we can meet the challenges and expectations we face to elevate the standing, status and value of our sector today. We’re excited to take this first step on our new journey and continue to support our members, who make sport possible.”

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)

INFINICUT to reduce HAV for Loughborough

IOG announces successful rebrand

INFINICUT to reduce HAV for Loughborough

IOG announces successful rebrand

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

INFINICUT to reduce HAV for Loughborough

INFINICUT to reduce HAV for Loughborough: The Loughborough University Stadium is the jewel in the crown of the dedicated ‘football hub’ at the site’s Holywell Sports Complex.

IOG announces successful rebrand

IOG announces successful rebrand: The Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG), the leading not-for-profit membership organisation, today announces its new name and brand, the Grounds Management Association.

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