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Hundreds brave heat as Lakeside 5 raises thousands

July 14, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Hundreds brave heat as Lakeside 5 raises thousands: Almost 450 runners braved soaring temperatures to compete in the annual JCB Lakeside 5 and Fun Run – raising £4,300 for charity. The competitors laced up their running shoes to take on either a five-mile course or two-mile fun run around the picturesque JCB World HQ at […]

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

July 14, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries: The search is on to recognise the UK’s most professional sprayer operators in the sports turf, amenity and landscape management industries. The Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year (ASOOTY) Awards highlight best practice and experience in the challenging role of ensuring accurate application on all amenity surfaces. The […]

Hundreds brave heat as Lakeside 5 raises thousands

July 14, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

July 14, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

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Hundreds brave heat as Lakeside 5 raises thousands

July 14, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Hundreds brave heat as Lakeside 5 raises thousands: Almost 450 runners braved soaring temperatures to compete in the annual JCB Lakeside 5 and Fun Run – raising £4,300 for charity.

The competitors laced up their running shoes to take on either a five-mile course or two-mile fun run around the picturesque JCB World HQ at Rocester. While most dressed to keep cool as temperatures nudged 28˚C, some runners donned colourful fancy dress outfits based on the Wizard of Oz. Charles Bevan, 78, of Abbots Bromley, dressed as the Tin Man, while his son Jason and fellow JCB Lakeside Running Club members Liz Carrington, Helena Fisher and Ben Ord, came as the Lion, Wicked Witch, Dorothy, and Scarecrow. The event raised £4,300 towards JCB’s £2 million appeal for the NSPCC.

Hundreds brave heat as Lakeside 5 raises thousands

Former JCB employees Charles Bevan and Mick Grindey, 63, of Uttoxeter, have the unique distinction of having run in every single JCB Lakeside 5 since the first was held in 1983 – a total of 40 races, three having been cancelled due to Foot and Mouth and Covid. They were presented with mounted scale models of JCB backhoe loaders to honour 40 years of helping organise the JCB Lakeside 5.

Charles said: “This year is full of mixed emotions as it is likely to be my last race. I am 79 next month and I have run every year dressed as everything from Popeye to Fred Flintstone and even a pantomime horse. I have loved every minute, and I am so proud of what we have achieved raising thousands of pounds for good causes. The support we receive every year is amazing and it was great to see so many people here again this year as we mark our 40^th race here at JCB.”

Race Director Mick Grindey, who joined Charles at the starting line, said: “It was 28 degrees on the starting line, so we have been touched by all the support this year. It was definitely one of the busiest we have had and to have run beside Charles on each one over the past 40 events has been an honour.”

Ben Marshall, from Werrington, was the first JCB man to cross the line. Based at JCB’s World HQ, it is the 3^rd time he has taken part. Joined by a team of runners from the Backhoe Loader assembly line, he completed the course in 29 minutes and 53 seconds.

Dental hygienist Angela Kiwomya came in at 49 minutes and 50 seconds to claim the place as first JCB woman over the finish line. She said: “It is the first time I have taken part and was great to be part of the event. The atmosphere is amazing, and it was rewarding to do something for such a good cause.”

Chris Gidlow, of City of Stoke Runners, was the overall winner securing first place for the second time in a row. Beating his last time by just over 10 seconds he made it across the line in 26 minutes and 44 seconds. First female was Joanne Bentley, from Stone, who also claimed the title for the second time crossing the line in 35minutes 1 second.

Uttoxeter Road Runners had a team of 25 runners with Andrew Butterworth, of Uttoxeter, dressed as a dinosaur for his 10^th JCB Lakeside 5. He said: “I normally just wear a wig and tutu so it was definitely a lot warmer with the full dinosaur outfit in this heat. The crowd were brilliant though and it was a great atmosphere.”

JCB’s Paula Woods, who works in finance at World HQ, took to the track for the first time with colleague Mark Jeffs. The 54-year-old said she was keen to take on the challenge: “I figured if I didn’t do it now, I never would, and I have found the whole experience really inspiring. It was a lot harder than expected with the hills.”

Among the other competitors were a 15-strong team of JCB India colleagues and their families. They are part of a group of design engineers in the UK on secondment from JCB India’s factory in Pune they wanted to join colleagues in racing. Badjarang Jadhav said: “It was a great experience to share with our families, and we have all enjoyed being part of such a fun event here at JCB.”

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Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

July 14, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries: The search is on to recognise the UK’s most professional sprayer operators in the sports turf, amenity and landscape management industries.

The Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year (ASOOTY) Awards highlight best practice and experience in the challenging role of ensuring accurate application on all amenity surfaces.

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

The Amenity Forum competition, supported by ICL and Syngenta, seeks to share guidance and advice that will raise the standards of spray application across the amenity industry.

You could be a lawncare professional in Essex, working on a golf course from Glasgow to Perranporth, treating roadsides or railways in York, or spraying grounds in Cardiff – all are welcome to apply

The Awards’ finalists will be announced at the Amenity Forum Conference in October, with the overall winner presented at the prestigious BIGGA Awards ceremony at BTME in January 2026.

Amenity businesses and sports turf managers are urged to actively encourage their sprayer operators to enter the awards this year.

All ASOOTY applicants will also be entered into a competition to win one of five Syngenta Sprayer Calibration & Application Kits.

Along with assessing operators’ skills of spray application and use of products, the ASOOTY judging panel also now incorporate the importance of an integrated turf management (ITM) approach to any issues involving turf and landscape maintenance.

Announcing the opening of the ASOOTY 2025 Awards, Amenity Forum Chairman, Ian Graham, announced: “This competition seeks to highlight the remarkable talent that exists within our sector, and I encourage as many spray operators as possible to engage with the process.

“Our industry has many highly skilled spray operators working within it, using a diverse range of products accurately applied through a huge range of complex application equipment. Past winners have ably demonstrated the professional approach to meeting these challenges.”

Syngenta Technical Manager, Sean Loakes, highlighted: “The skills of sprayer operators to make efficient, effective and above all safe applications is essential for the future sustainability of the amenity and turf care industry.

“The ASOOTY awards are a welcome way to recognise and reward the leading individuals and to learn from their experience,” he says.

Last year’s winner, Peter Pattenden, professional spray technician at Carden Park Golf Resort in, Cheshire encourages all sprayer operators to get involved and enter the ASOOTY Awards. Even at a relatively young age, his understanding of the spraying process and exemplary commitment to achieving consistent accuracy was evident.

ICL Landscape & Industrial Business Manager, Lewis Blois, added: “We are delighted to support such an important cross-sector industry initiative, with a continued commitment to raise standards and improve results.

“Importantly it provides a unique and vitally important resource for all involved in spray application across the amenity sector,” he points out.

The entry process aims to test sprayer operators’ broader knowledge of issues and solutions faced across the amenity sector through an initial on-line question form, including questions to assess an individual’s experience and approach to dealing with challenges.

It’s seeking to find operators that can make those important proactive decisions with every application

Entries to the ASOOTY Awards 2025 closes on Friday 12 September. The on-line entry form is available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DB9LCNS

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)

Hundreds brave heat as Lakeside 5 raises thousands

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

Hundreds brave heat as Lakeside 5 raises thousands

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Hundreds brave heat as Lakeside 5 raises thousands

Hundreds brave heat as Lakeside 5 raises thousands: Almost 450 runners braved soaring temperatures to compete in the annual JCB Lakeside 5 and Fun Run – raising £4,300 for charity.

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries

Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year open for entries: The search is on to recognise the UK’s most professional sprayer operators in the sports turf, amenity and landscape management industries.

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