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Celebrating Public Parks

March 27, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

National Have a Field Day 8th July to demonstrate public support for parks Access to parks help people feel healthier and happier – and become more active Parks and playing fields are a well loved part of our local landscape and used by the whole community from pre-school children to retired adults; but funding cuts […]

South Beds reaps financial benefits

March 25, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Featuring both 18 and 9-hole courses based on free-draining chalk land in Bedfordshire, South Beds Golf Club is now on its fourth generation of John Deere greens mower, following a John Deere Financial lease deal signed with dealer P Tuckwell Ltd. The new 2500E hybrid electric greens mower followed its triplex predecessors the 2500, 2500A […]

Celebrating Public Parks

March 27, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

South Beds reaps financial benefits

March 25, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Celebrating Public Parks

March 27, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

National Have a Field Day 8^th July to demonstrate public support for parks
Access to parks help people feel healthier and happier – and become more active

Parks and playing fields are a well loved part of our local landscape and used by the whole community from pre-school children to retired adults; but funding cuts mean these green spaces are under threat, less well maintained and at risk of development. To demonstrate just how much our parks matter, UK-wide charity Fields in Trust is encouraging all communities to celebrate their local green spaces on Saturday 8th July. The national Have a Field Day event will show the many different ways people use their public parks and why local communities value them so greatly.

With the clocks springing forward, UK communities are looking forward to getting outdoors and enjoying their local green spaces. However, Fields in Trust report that local authority funding cuts could have a damaging impact on the nation’s health. Recent research shows that local access to green space leads to people feeling healthier and happier – and becoming more active as a result.

Fields in Trust Ambassador, author Bill Bryson said: Britain has the comeliest, most enchanting, abundant and often venerable parks and green spaces of any country I know. Wherever you are, you are never more than a few minutes from woods, greensward and fresh air. How splendid is that? I am delighted to see them celebrated by Fields in Trust.”

Last month’s CLG Parliamentary Committee report into Public Parks calls for more recognition of the contribution that parks make to our communities. As an advocate for parks, playing fields and recreation grounds Fields in Trust has been calling for just such a re-valuing of greenspace, to take account not just of the cost of upkeep, but the vital contribution they make to health, wellbeing and community cohesion and ensure they are safeguarded for future generations. Over half of the UK population (57%) regularly use parks each month; families with children being the most frequent visitors (90%). As well as getting physically active, one in ten also say the park is the place they would go in order to gain clarity and to improve their overall mental wellbeing. Local green space is vitally important in meeting the government’s aim of creating a more active nation; an ambition which requires all kinds of formal and informal recreational space to be accessible.

Yet continued funding cuts mean green spaces are less well maintained and are under threat due to pressure on land for housing and retail developments. Nearly 92% of local authority parks departments have experienced budget cuts in the past three years. This is in the face of three-quarters of park managers reporting increased visitor numbers (State of UK Public Parks 2016).

To demonstrate the importance of green spaces within our communities and ensure local authorities and developers truly understand their benefit Fields in Trust is encouraging people to come together on 8th July – the anniversary of the first meeting of the National Playing Fields Association at the Royal Albert Hall in 1925.

The Fields in Trust Have a Field, 2017 event is supported by the National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces, parkrun and 38Degrees each of whom are encouraging their networks of park users to join the celebration on July 8th.

Fields in Trust Chief Executive, Helen Griffiths, said “Our Research helps us understand how a local park can contribute to its neighbourhood but the real value of a green space is determined by the local community who use it for play, sport and recreation. Each of the thousands of parks playing fields and playgrounds across the UK is valuable to the neighbourhood that it serves. Fields in Trust believe we should re-value our green spaces as resources which contribute to public health, mental wellbeing and community cohesion, not simply view them as a drain on council finances for upkeep. If you Love Your Local Park we encourage you to get together with neighbours on 8th July and celebrate our precious parks and playing fields.”

From Monday 27th March – as the clocks go forward and we anticipate warmer weather, organisers can register their events on the Fields in Trust website, www.fieldsintrust.org/haveafieldday.

All registered events will be able to access a downloadable toolkit with ideas to help run a successful community event. A pack of support materials will be provided to those who commit to raise funds for Fields in Trust’s work. There is no blueprint for how an event should look, however, with each Have a Field Day reflective of the local community the park serves.

South Beds reaps financial benefits

March 25, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

The new 2500E hybrid electric greens mower followed its triplex predecessors the 2500, 2500A and 2500B models in a package agreed with general manager Richard Martin and course manager Tom Hooper. It was joined by a John Deere 8800A rough mower, 7700A fairway mower and 3045R compact tractor, plus a Tru-Turf greens roller and a Saxon LM180 triple mower.

Richard Martin had been in his role for just over a year when he realised that the club had to try and find a way of limiting the amount of time the greens staff were having to spend fixing old, worn out equipment. He and Tom Hooper worked together with Tuckwell to identify the machines required to maintain the course to a higher standard, as well as a finance deal that the club would be comfortable with.

“The club committee pretty much backed us straight away once we proved we had got our facts and figures correct and that the finances were manageable,” says Richard. “The leasing solution was the first time we had tried a different approach to buying machinery – it would have been bought outright before.

“The John Deere finance deal gave us six new machines, which put us back where we wanted to be in terms of the course maintenance fleet. With the speed of change in new technology, you can fall behind very quickly in terms of its benefits. With this new deal we decided that leasing would be the better option, and it enabled us to make an immediate improvement to the course presentation.

“The cost of maintenance and repair was a big issue before, with some of the older machines 10 or more years old. The new rough mower replaced two old machines, so now we can manage both the rough and semi-rough much more quickly and easily, as it’s so easy to change the height of cut.

“The 2500E is the club’s first hybrid electric mower – we had problems in the past with hydraulic leaks on the greens, so that’s been taken out of the equation now. The TechControl system on the new A Model mowers is a very nice feature too – it enables Tom to be in control of setting the mowing and turning circle speeds, for more consistent results across both courses. The Quick Adjust cutting units on the cylinder mowers also save a lot of time when changing cutting heights.

“Overall I really believe this has been a great statement of intent by the club,” says Richard. “We wanted to improve the quality of the course presentation, the club recognised that and did something about it, and we are now reaping the benefits.”

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Celebrating Public Parks

South Beds reaps financial benefits

Celebrating Public Parks

South Beds reaps financial benefits

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Celebrating Public Parks

South Beds reaps financial benefits

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