Tag Archive for: Announced

Best Park Shortlist Announced

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Best Park Shortlist Announced: Four parks from across the UK have been shortlisted in Fields in Trust’s search to find the UK’s Best Park. Castle Gardens, Antrim; Cyfarthfa Park, Merthyr Tydfil; Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline and Stanley Park, Blackpool have each been shortlisted following a public vote.

The UK’s Best Park is organised by green space charity Fields in Trust who, for over 90 years, have legally protected parks and green spaces ensuring they will always be available for future generations to enjoy. A record 364 nominations were received for UK’s Best Park 2019. Those nominations were supported by park users, communities, Friends of Parks groups, and landowners and an unprecedented total of 36,832 votes were cast for parks and green spaces across the UK.

Best Park Shortlist Announced

The shortlisted parks are:

  • Antrim Castle Gardens, Antrim. The nomination identified that Antrim Castle Gardens has completed a transformation “… from local gem to national treasure” and recognised the “passionate team driven by the ambition to put their place on the map”.
  • Cyfarthfa Park, Merthyr Tydfil was identified as “…a park for people of all ages and interests”. The park was celebrated for its “…sensory garden and meadowlands which provide a haven of tranquillity”; and “The woodland walks, a delight for dog walkers and nature-lovers …  it is a park for all”.
  • Pittencrieff Park in Dunfermline, Scotland is known locally as “The Glen” and was celebrated for its diversity “… from kid’s areas to glasshouses, peacock sanctuary and historical features …. rocky waterfalls, imaginative paths, well-stocked, neatly trimmed flower beds and herb gardens”.
  • Stanley Park, Blackpool, was described as “… a beautiful, tranquil place away from the hustle and bustle of the Blackpool seafront”. The “great volunteers and staff who keep it in tip-top condition” were also recognised in the online nomination.

In addition, 73 parks and green spaces have achieved “Much Loved” status, having been placed in the top 20% of all UK’s Best Park 2019 nominations throughout the UK. The “Much Loved” status recognises the support of local people who use and love these parks and green spaces.

Fields in Trust is a UK-wide charity that since 1925 has been legally protecting parks and green spaces in perpetuity. The UK’s Best Park Award recognises the role that parks play in our communities, supporting mental and physical health and bringing people together. The charity is concerned that many parks and green spaces are under threat and are at risk of being lost to development or a cycle of decline and disappearance.

Fields in Trust recently published research, the Green Space Index, which revealed that over 2.5 million people across Great Britain do not have access to a local park within ten minutes walk from home. With public sector cuts leading to pressure on parks and green spaces, there is a risk that a lack of legal protection could lead to more being sold off or developed. Yet these vital outdoor spaces deliver health and wellbeing benefits to those that use them regularly. Fields in Trust research reveals that overall, parks and green spaces contribute £34 billion each year in health and wellbeing benefits to their regular users and save the NHS £111million each year simply in avoided GP appointments.

Fields in Trust Chief Executive, Helen Griffiths said: “The increased number of parks nominated, and a record number of votes cast, show just how much the UK’s local green spaces are cherished by the people who use them. Recognising the UK’s Best Park is a way of revaluing our green spaces for the physical and mental health benefits they provide to their local communities. I congratulate all our “Much-Loved” parks and green spaces and wish the four Home Nation winners well for the UK’s Best Park award which we will announce on September 12th. 

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GreenFields Award Winners Announced

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GreenFields Award Winners Announced: As Official Pitch Partners of the Northern Premier League, GreenFields launched the second Pitch of the Year Awards at the start of the season and crowned the winners at the league’s prestigious annual End of Season Awards on 15 June which took place in Blackpool.

The Pitch of the Year Awards recognise individuals and clubs who work tirelessly to ensure that their pitches look and feel the best that they can despite often having limited resources. With a staggering 90% of member clubs voting for their top pitches, (a 10% increase on last year’s votes), GreenFields then shortlisted the three clubs per division with the highest nominations. The next step was for the experienced, professional GreenFields Grounds Team to visit the nine shortlisted clubs to carry out in-depth pitch inspections.

GreenFields Award Winners Announced

During the pitch inspections the judges marked the surfaces on the following criteria:

Clegg Tests Moisture Tests
Visibility of Lines Overall Grass Coverage
Quality of Grass in Goal Mouth Areas Overall Surface Stability

The judges also interviewed each Groundsman on aspects such as fertiliser frequency and Summer renovation plans as well as taking into account the staff used for pitch maintenance, the maintenance equipment owned by the club, the weather on the day of the visit, the geographical location and weather implications, the average hours of pitch usage and the level of irrigation in place at the club. Whilst visiting each club, GreenFields documented the visits by using a dedicated app and by taking a series of photos.

GreenFields Marketing Manager, Louise Henderson and Commercial Director, Paul Milton attended the awards with Paul presenting the three winning clubs with a trophy along with £500 to spend on pitch maintenance materials or services from GreenFields. Paul commented: “For the second year of running these awards we have been impressed with both the calibre of pitches and the dedication displayed in the individuals we met. Many of the Groundsmen at these clubs are volunteers with limited resources, yet they work tirelessly with passion and enthusiasm to provide their clubs with the best possible match ready surfaces. GreenFields want to ensure that these passionate individuals and clubs receive the recognition they deserve, and we would like to thank all the shortlisted clubs for welcoming us so warmly during the pitch inspections.”

Well done to all the shortlisted clubs and the winners of the awards:

PREMIER

WINNER: South Shields FC

2nd: Bamber Bridge FC

3rd: Nantwich Town FC

EAST

WINNER: Tadcaster Albion FC

2nd: Cleethorpes Town FC

3rd: Stamford AFC

WEST

WINNER: Trafford FC

2nd: Colwyn Bay FC

3rd: Kidsgrove Athletic FC

GreenFields Award Winners Announced

Trafford FC’s Secretary, Graham Foxall commented on their second successive win of the Pitch of the Year Award: “It’s really great to see that our hard work has once again been recognised by our fellow clubs along with GreenFields for the Pitch of the Year Award for the second season in a row.”

Northern Premier League Chairman, Mark Harris commented: “The GreenFields Pitch of the Year scheme has helped the Northern Premier League to focus attention on the quality of all pitches, grass and artificial. By recognising high standards, we encourage others to raise their own, which has to be a positive step.”

More information on GreenFields can be found at www.greenfieldsturf.co.uk

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EFL Award Winners Announced

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EFL Award Winners Announced: The EFL has announced the winners of the Grounds Team of the Season award for 2018/19 in each of the three divisions.

The awards recognise the importance of the quality of pitches for professional football and acknowledge the clubs and their ground staff who consistently produce the best playing surfaces in the EFL.

In the Sky Bet Championship, Swansea City win the award for producing a perfect pitch at the Liberty Stadium this season. Aston Villa and Middlesbrough are both highly commended.

In Sky Bet League One, Bristol Rovers’ ground staff take top honours for the excellent surface at the Memorial Stadium. Doncaster Rovers, Sunderland and Wycombe Wanderers are highly commended.

The award for Grounds Team of the Season in Sky Bet League Two this year goes to Swindon Town, while the ground staff of Carlisle United and MK Dons are highly commended.

Championship

Winner – Swansea City

Highly Commended – Aston Villa

Highly Commended – Middlesbrough

League One

Winner – Bristol Rovers

Highly Commended – Doncaster Rovers

Highly Commended – Sunderland

Highly Commended – Wycombe Wanderers

League Two

Winner – Swindon Town

Highly Commended – Carlisle United

Highly Commended – MK Dons

The EFL’s Grounds Team of the Season Awards are determined initially using marks from referees and away managers for each Sky Bet EFL game and are then followed by detailed pitch inspections and a review of management operations.

These visits were carried out by Dr Stephen Baker, Head of Sports Surface Technology at the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI).

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Promising Student Winner Announced

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Promising Student Winner Announced: Award sponsors Toro and Reesink Turfcare, an official UK Toro distributor, are delighted to announce Matthew Skingle from Coventry City Training Ground as the winner of the Most Promising Student of the Year Award at the tenth annual Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Awards on October 31.

Matthew, who was presented his award by Reesink’s Alastair Rowell, was recognised as an ambitious and passionate groundsman who has plans to use his award to encourage others, particularly younger people, into the industry.

Promising Student Winner Announced

Matthew, who has wanted to pursue a career in the industry since first getting a taste for groundskeeping at a young age, says: “The industry as it stands consists mostly of an older generation, which is great on one hand because they have a lot of experience we can learn from, but we need to ensure the industry has a future.”

“I’d love to inspire young people. I really benefitted from work experience in the industry through school and wouldn’t ever have considered a career as a groundsman without it. It gave me the chance to see what it was like. So, I think we should do more to get out there and show younger people what it’s really like.”

After a successful year studying at South Essex College while working at Coventry City, Matthew is now working full-time as a groundsman at the club. “It was great to do the course and expand on my knowledge,” he says. “I’ve learned a lot in this past year and I know I’m really lucky to be part of such a great team.”

Speaking of the awards, he said: “I was so shocked when I found out I’d won. I wasn’t expecting to be a finalist so even that was an honour in itself. The competition was tough, and the other finalist was really deserving as well, so I was chuffed to win. I’m really grateful that Toro sponsors the award as I believe this will give me a platform that will help my career.”

He continues: “In this industry if you work hard, you can get far and that’s what I intend to do. I’d like to be head groundsman at a stadium one day, or even a pitch advisor for IOG. The opportunities are limitless.”

Marketing manager at Reesink Turfcare, Holly Jones, says: “Encouraging and supporting young talent in the grounds industry is a hugely important undertaking for us and sponsoring this award demonstrates Toro’s long-term commitment to the development of the industry and our investment in the careers of young people. This is a wonderful achievement for Matthew, and we hope the award continues to encourage more young talent like himself. We will follow his career with great interest.”

The awards, which took place on the 31 October at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, recognise leadership, innovation and outstanding achievement across every aspect of groundscare. Attended by more than 650 of the UK and Europe’s leading groundscare experts, the ceremony highlights the progress of young, student grounds professionals.

But it’s not just winning the award which will set Matthew apart, his passion and determination to help promote the benefits of a career in the industry to his peers will undoubtedly do that too. And Reesink and Toro are proud, as ever, to play a part in giving Matthew a platform to do that through the sponsorship of such an important award for the future of the industry.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Golf Environment Awards Finalists Announced

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Golf Environment Awards Finalists Announced: STRI is delighted to announce the finalists for the 2019 Golf Environment Awards (GEAs), recognising golf clubs and individuals that strive to undertake environmental best practice.

Over 30 longlisted clubs were visited earlier in the year by STRI ecology consultants, Bob Taylor and Rowan Rumball, and painstakingly whittled down to 17 finalists, including one club from Switzerland.

Golf Environment Awards Finalists Announced

Four finalists have been named in three GEA categories – Conservation Greenkeeper of Year, Outstanding Environmental Project and Operation Pollinator. However, such was the competition in the Environmental Golf Course of Year category the shortlist has been increased to five finalists.

Representatives from the finalists will attend the glittering awards ceremony on 23 January at the Crown Hotel in Harrogate, during BTME week.

Golf Environment Awards judge, Rowan Rumball, said: “This is my first year managing the GEAs, and it has been a fantastic, but challenging, experience. It has been humbling and such a privilege to see first-hand all the good work golf clubs are striving to achieve.

“The range of projects has been massively diverse, and the scale is inspiring. Golf is truly leading the way when it comes to ecological and environmental commitment.”

The GEA provides the platform from which the golf industry can demonstrate environmental excellence in all its forms. This has been demonstrated by past finalists and can range from relatively simple but effective projects, to grand scale schemes.

All finalists receive free entry into the Foundation Award in Amenity Horticulture course, recognised by BASIS, as well as CPD points, and the lucky winners will be able to enjoy a European Golf & Environment Trip of a Lifetime to Portugal.

The Golf Environment Awards 2019 finalists are:

 Environmental Golf Course of the Year

Aldeburgh Golf Club
Ipswich Golf Club
Minchinhampton Golf Club
Warrington Golf Club
St Andrews Links

Conservation Greenkeeper of the Year

Les Rae – Montrose Golf Links
Phil Stain – Notts Golf Club
Mark Broughton – Aldeburgh Golf Club
Neil Sherman – Ipswich Golf Club

Outstanding Environmental Project of the Year

Wylihof Golf Club
Cotswold Hills Golf Club
Hallamshire Golf Club
Woking Golf Club

Operation Pollinator

Wylihof Golf Club
Banchory Golf Club
Wigan Golf Club
Corhampton Golf Club

The winners will be announced at the Golf Environment Awards Ceremony on Wednesday 23h January 2019, at The Crown Hotel in Harrogate. Tickets for the awards, which includes a three-course meal and drinks, go on general sale on 16 Nov. Please email enquiries@strigroup.com for further details.

STRI would like to thank all the golf clubs that entered but didn’t make the final shortlist.

A huge thank you also goes to Golf Environment Award partners and sponsors who continue to support and promote the awards year-on-year, without them the awards simply would not be possible.

The R&A, BIGGA, The Golf Club Manager, Tillers Turf, Ransomes Jacobsen, Wiedenmann, Aquatrols, Syngenta

For further details about The Golf Environment Awards please visit https://golfenvironmentawards.com/

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