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Heligan invests in its future

February 16, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Cornwall’s award-winning The Lost Gardens of Heligan estate has re-established a working partnership with John Deere and local professional turf equipment dealer Masons Kings after more than 20 years. The 200-plus acre estate at Pentewan near St Austell has invested in a new fleet of 10 machines plus ancillary equipment valued at over £200,000, in […]

Cheshire FA Groundsman of the Year 2017 – Nominate now!

February 16, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Following on from last year’s successes, we can announce that the Groundsman of the Year Competition for 2017, at Step 7 and below, is now open for nominations. The FA’s Groundsmen of the Year is now in its 15th year. The awards were set up to recognise the contribution of these ‘unsung heroes’, who work […]

Heligan invests in its future

February 16, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Cheshire FA Groundsman of the Year 2017 – Nominate now!

February 16, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

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Heligan invests in its future

February 16, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

The 200-plus acre estate at Pentewan near St Austell has invested in a new fleet of 10 machines plus ancillary equipment valued at over £200,000, in a John Deere Financial five-year lease hire deal including PowerGard protection. Its first John Deere machine, an 855 compact tractor, was provided in 1995 by the previous dealer, Cornwall Farmers, to help in the restoration of The Lost Gardens after their rediscovery in 1990.

This year The Lost Gardens of Heligan celebrates the 25th anniversary of its official opening. Director of gardens, estate & maintenance Iain Davies acknowledged the historic link with John Deere at a special training day organised by Masons Kings group turf sales manager Andy Bowey.

Over 40 services, events, maintenance, gardens and landscapes staff were assessed and marked on training and operating procedures for each new machine, to qualify for BAGMA certification. The product training stations covered John Deere’s latest diesel and electric Gator utility vehicles, compact tractors and a commercial lawn tractor. A new Tango robotic lawnmower will also be installed in the gardens this spring.

“The relationship we are reigniting began right when the restoration of The Lost Gardens was started,” said Iain Davies. “Not only do we share this history with John Deere, we also share a similar ethos with Masons Kings, as we are both family-run businesses.

“While this deal is admittedly a big cost to us, it’s clear evidence of an investment in the whole of the staff as a team, and puts us up another level. Not only do the new machines look very professional, they will help make us more efficient, so it’s a very good start to the partnership we were looking for.

“We recognise that John Deere makes top quality equipment and offers excellent dealer and manufacturer backup – the servicing and aftersales support was one of the main reasons we went with the brand and Masons Kings. Training is also a very important part of this – two of our maintenance staff will be undergoing further instruction with the dealer and at John Deere’s own training centre. We will then have the ability to manage our own servicing and maintenance on-site, and Masons Kings will be there for us when we need them.”

Iain Davies’ deputy Phil Oldham arrived at Heligan in 2016, having worked in other historic gardens. “I’ve always bought John Deere equipment wherever I’ve been,” he says. “When I looked at the old machinery and realised an update was required, it made sense to see if we could establish a new partnership to help move us forward.

“With the range of tractors and Gator UTVs available plus the new X950R rear discharge/rear collect diesel lawn tractor, which John Deere didn’t have before, the company can offer us everything we need. Heligan is a historic garden dating back to the 19th century where everything was done by hand, and that’s what we still put into practice in the gardens today. However, on the wider estate where we don’t have so many people, we need the support kit otherwise we’d never be able to farm and manage the land in the most effective and efficient way.

“We intend Heligan to remain a living and working example of the best of past practice, offering public access into the heart of what we do. The new John Deere fleet from Masons Kings will help us work towards our goals for the third decade of this historic estate.”

Cheshire FA Groundsman of the Year 2017 – Nominate now!

February 16, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Following on from last year’s successes, we can announce that the Groundsman of the Year Competition for 2017, at Step 7 and below, is now open for nominations.

The FA’s Groundsmen of the Year is now in its 15th year. The awards were set up to recognise the contribution of these ‘unsung heroes’, who work in all weather, all year round, to make sure that thousands of matches can take place on a high standard of playing surface.
The majority of football in this country is played outside the Football League. Quality pitches are therefore essential for the development of football at every level. Grassroots groundsman, the vast majority of whom are volunteers, play a huge role in ensuring pitches are in their best possible condition, week in, week out.

We therefore invite nominations for Groundsmen operating at Step 7 or below so if you think your surface is pitch perfect do not hesitate to nominate.
The deadline is Monday 20 February at 5.00pm.

To nominate, please complete our online form here: http://bit.ly/2lRPyuO

Cheshire FA will be collating nominations and then have a panel to pick our 3 winners before submitting our top three applications to The FA to be in contention to win the national award.

Last year’s Awards Day followed in the footsteps of the successful 2016 competition and took place in mid-August at St George’s Park. The nominees were given a guided tour of the site as well as an insightful presentation from Karl Standley (Head Groundsman at Wembley Stadium) and also a question and answer workshop with professional groundsmen from Southampton, Manchester City along with Alan Ferguson from St George’s Park. The awards ceremony took place in the afternoon with members of The FA Facilities Committee presenting the winners with their certificates and trophies.

Among those awarded was 2016 Cheshire FA Groundsman of the Year at Step 7 and Below, Freddie Brickland of Upton AA who received a highly commended award (above right).
The winners were then invited as special guests for the England v Spain friendly fixture in November. The winners enjoyed the hospitality on offer before being treated to an opportunity to join the Wembley Ground Staff on the pitch at half time. The feedback we received from our guests was overwhelmingly positive and we are extremely excited to see what this season brings.

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Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Heligan invests in its future

Cheshire FA Groundsman of the Year 2017 – Nominate now!

Heligan invests in its future

Cheshire FA Groundsman of the Year 2017 – Nominate now!

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Heligan invests in its future

Cheshire FA Groundsman of the Year 2017 – Nominate now!

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