Blog Elements - Turf Matters

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Park Life

July 3, 2018/in Turf Spotlight/by Admin

Park Life: A report by the Heritage Lottery Fund, State of UK’s Public Parks, suggests that in the UK 34 million people visit a park regularly. To put this into context, more people visit one in a year than voted in the 2015 General Election. The Victorian philanthropists who had the vision to create the […]

Lawn Care Legends LIVE At SALTEX

July 3, 2018/in Events, News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Lawn Care Legends LIVE At SALTEX: A fantastic networking opportunity for landscapers and gardeners will be on offer at SALTEX 2018 – which takes place at the NEC, Birmingham on 31 October and 1 November. Lawn Care Legends, a Facebook group which was created in July 2016, is a thriving online community with over 3,000 […]

Park Life

July 3, 2018/in Turf Spotlight/by Admin

Lawn Care Legends LIVE At SALTEX

July 3, 2018/in Events, News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Park Life

July 3, 2018/in Turf Spotlight/by Admin

The Victorian philanthropists who had the vision to create the world’s first public parks understood the importance of green space for the health and wellbeing of society. Access to good quality green space is vital if we are to tackle some of the challenges that we face, including the growing problem of obesity, the rise in mental health issues and the feelings of being disconnected from the communities in which we live. Research shows that having well-managed, accessible green space contributes to tackling many of these issues.

This is where the Green Flag Award can help, because it supports organisations that provide quality green spaces. Parks are only well-used and valued if they feel clean and safe. Fear of crime is one of the biggest barriers to certain groups using a park to exercise or relax and if a park looks unloved and uncared for, this can lead to an increase in anti-social behaviour.

Launched in the UK in 1996, the Green Flag Award has transformed our country’s green spaces. It was introduced to reverse the decline in the quality of our parks that had happened in the 1970s and 1980s and it has worked.

When it was launched, only seven parks met the standard required to fly a Green Flag Award today more than 1,600 parks and green spaces have a flag flying. The Green Flag Award has delivered change in the UK’s parks and green spaces and raised standards by setting the standard. It has shown that running a park that is well-used and valued by its community is about more than just cutting the grass.

It has established that effective management and the use of skilled staff, along with support of the local community, are key to creating fantastic public parks. In addition, the Green Flag Award has supported the professionalism of the parks sector. It has provided an opportunity to share good practice through a network of more than 800 volunteer judges that supports new applicants.

For those running our country’s parks and green spaces, the Green Flag Award is an invaluable tool, whether the space they are managing is a traditional park, a cemetery, a shopping centre or a university.

The Award helps focus activity on the important elements of management and provides a proven, successful framework. It enables the development of a costed management plan that allows resources to be focused in areas that will have the biggest effect. It also allows managers to demonstrate that resources are being used to their best effect and money is being spent appropriately and delivering value for money.

The aim of the Green Flag Award is to ensure that everyone has access to a quality green space and to enable them to live more healthy lifestyles.

The number of Green Flags Awards flying in Britain –and further afield – today is the proof that many others share that vision.

As a green flag judge, I get to visit some amazing parks and open spaces every year. Judging usually starts in April and completed in June with flags awarded in late August.

This year I judged several parks, one of which was Priory Park in Dudley. The town of Dudley has a long and illustrious history and heritage with is famous castle, National Nature Reserve, limestone and mining history, and fantastic canal system. Dudley Priory is a little known gem nestling in the heart of the town centre. The Dudley Priory was founded by Sir Gervase Paganel and served a community of monks and lay people for several hundred years until it was demolished during the 16th century by Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries.

The Priory Park restoration project which was funded through the Heritage Lottery Fund has developed the park significantly and has restored and enhanced many of its impressive features from its 1930’s inception and beyond. One of the most impressive features which has been improved has been the ruined Priory itself

The Ranger posts which have also been funded for five years have meant that themed events and activities with schools and community groups take place on a regular basis and the park is now a lively and vibrant place once more. Local people have been trained to deliver sporting, horticultural and heritage-based events in the park, and the park pavilion itself, once a derelict and burnt out shell has been reinvigorated and revived to become a local hub for the community, in a splendid green landscaped setting.

Trees make an important contribution to the park’s special landscape and historic interest. The 2009 tree survey recorded 501 trees within the park, with just over half of these being classed as mature. In recent times a significant number of large mature specimens have been removed as a result of disease and as a precautionary measure to protect the safety of visitors. Further felling of 51 trees as part of the restoration work was recommended in the tree survey and has now been completed.

During my visit I get to meet the people and staff responsible for managing the park the lead officer responsible for Priory Park is Liz Stuffins who obliged me by answering a few questions about her role and the work undertaken as part of their Business plan for Priory Park.

Turf Matters:- How long have you been working for Dudley MBC ?

Liz Stuffins:- I have been with Dudley MBC for nine years

TM:- What is your role with the council and how many parks and open spaces do you manage?

LS:- My role is Development of Parks and open spaces, my team works with residents, visitors and sports groups to improve and restore parks, and make them more pleasant places to visit. I manage large capital programmes such as Lottery Funds, 106 planning obligations, funding and other funding sources to improve parks. We have had large public Health grants and government grants to deliver projects, and we work with community organisations to improve volunteering and events and activities on sites. We have 28 main parks we work on.

TM:- How is the maintenance work carried out in the park?

LS:-The maintenance work at Priory Park is carried out by site based staff plus the north area team who are peripatetic. We also have a number of volunteers who assist the site-based team, plus the apprentices who use the site for learning and project delivery. Although the Authority no longer has glasshouses to grow bedding, the Council is working with Dudley Mind who are working on a Growing in the Park project. They manage the glasshouses and the apprentices will work with them to gain this experience as part of their training.

TM:- Why do you support Green Flag? What benefits do you get from having the award?

LS:- The Green Flag Award is really important to the Borough as it sets the standards for high quality parks. The four Lottery funded parks have all got Green Flag status, plus we have two other parks which have the Flag where the community or public Health have helped to fund raise for intiatives/projects in Coseley and Dudley Town Centre.

TM:- How many green flag sites do you have ?

LS:- Six sites have Green Flag Status two of these are Nature Reserves, we are working on a cemetary project which we hope will get Green Flag and some Community projects such as allotment sites.

TM:- You have a good apprentice ships scheme running in the park, what benefits do you get from running this programme?

LS:- The apprenticeship scheme has been running since our government funded Future Skills project ceased 7 years ago. The Council is really committed to training up young people to provide a better workforce. The Green care team recognise that the workforce is very old and close to retirement and needs to develop succession planning.

TM:- As an industry do you think we are doing enough to encourage the next generation of parks managers or are we a dying breed?

LS:- Our industry has a huge opportunity to train others and to encourage others to join the industry. Parks managers need so many different skills these days, but there are people who want to work in the environmental industry, but not necessarily have the traditional horticultural training that parks managers of old had. I have a background in ecology and environmental management with a passion to see local people care for their local green spaces. We are seeing local people becoming the champions for parks with the rise of the Parks’ Friends’ movement.

TM:- What further improvement would you like to see in the Park?

LS:- Priory Park really does need to become a thriving hub for Dudley’s regeneration. Dudley has a number of excellent visitor attractions, Zoo, BC Museum etc, the Park needs to be sold as part of the tourism package. I am working on delivering the café at the park which we hope will be open next year. I would also like the park to be hosting more events and activities, the Churches Together event is being held next weekend and the Friends have several ideas for events in the future.

I really enjoyed meeting the staff and getting to know what Dudley MBC had in mind to secure the future of Priory Park, I may be tad biased, but you really cannot put a price on these valuable parks and open spaces, we collectively have a duty to secure their future for the next generation. Maintaining Greenflag status without doubt plays an important role in doing this. I like to thank Dudley’s MBC staff and friends of the park who made me feel very welcome on the day, and we will all look forward to finding out if they managed to maintain Greenflag status later in the year.

Lawn Care Legends LIVE At SALTEX

July 3, 2018/in Events, News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Lawn Care Legends, a Facebook group which was created in July 2016, is a thriving online community with over 3,000 worldwide active members. It is primarily a group for all landscapers and gardeners to showcase their work and knowledge and ultimately support one another.

The majority of group members are based in the UK, Ireland, USA, Australia and Canada and the group sees, on average, 40-60 individual member posts and approximately 4,500 engagements every day from likes to comments.

“The kind of topics of conversation can be anything from recommendations on products, machines or brands, what people prefer to use – the pros and cons, or it could be to do with marketing your business or pricing a job. It is open to professionals and aspiring professionals and the group encourages the positive aspect of sharing information,” said group founder John Ryan.

Browse through the Lawn Care Legends group and you will see a stunning array of images and videos detailing all kinds of various landscaping projects, however, John believes that while social media is an important aspect of the industry, the group is far more than just social sharing.

“Social media is a way to feed on the passion for the industry but it is much more than just sharing pictures and talking about lawn mowers; it is a way of connecting with people who have the same interests as you, have the same passion as you, and ultimately face the same difficulties as you.

“One thing I have personally experienced and widely seen in this industry is mental health, and that has commonly derived from being a solo operator or a small business owner. The difficulties and the challenges we face can be overwhelming and if we don’t have somewhere to turn to for advice or for some encouragement, then it can be really tough going. Social media breaks down those barriers and can make you feel less alone. In between jobs, or in times of distress, group members can take out their phone, quickly hop on to Lawn Care Legends and instantly be in contact with people who specifically understand both the highs and the lows of being a small business owner.”

Lawn Care Legends LIVE will take place on the first day of SALTEX 2018 and John, who is hosting the event alongside other popular Landscaping ‘YouTubers’ Curtis Jones and Jason Groom, revealed his ambitions for the event.

“Ultimately we are trying to build on a positive movement that has driven many people to develop their skills and deliver a higher service to customers while at the same time gaining more passion and appreciation for their own businesses.

“The event is open to everybody – the solo operator, the small to medium business owner, anyone who is following what manufacturers are doing, or following what their peers and colleagues within the industry are doing. By bringing Lawn Care Legends LIVE to SALTEX, it creates a go-to event of the year that people, not just members of Lawn Care Legends, can look forward to in connecting with other likeminded individuals.”

Not only will Lawn Care Legends LIVE be fantastic opportunity to network and discuss relevant topics but John, Curtis and Jason will be also be hosting an awards ceremony at the event.

“We are running a competition where entrants can submit up to ten pictures which show the quality of their work. It might be beautiful stripes on a lawn, a crisp edge between a flower bed and a lawn or it could be a topiary cutting – anything at all.

“The pictures can be posted in the Facebook group or through Twitter and Instagram and then in September a shortlist will be created. Everyone who makes it onto the shortlist will be in with a chance to win as the winners will be selected by a random generator. The winners will be then announced on the first day of SALTEX at the Lawn Care Legends LIVE event.”

The prizes will include:

A shaft drive professional lawnmower
A professionally built website worth approximately £1500
Lawn Care Legends clothing

To enter the competition join the Lawn Care Legends Facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/lawncarelegends or use the hashtag #LCLSALTEX18 on Instagram or Twitter.

Lawn Care Legends LIVE will take place on 31 October at 2:00pm in concourse suites 22 and 23 by the SALTEX entrance.

Visitors can register to attend SALTEX for FREE via the website – www.iogsaltex.com

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 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)

Park Life

Lawn Care Legends LIVE At SALTEX

Park Life

Lawn Care Legends LIVE At SALTEX

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Park Life

Lawn Care Legends LIVE At SALTEX

RESOURCES

CONTACT

CONNECT