Tag Archive for: Award

Life-changing award for Jason Norwood

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Life-changing award for Jason Norwood: Having the confidence to make a huge career move and the knowledge to back up key decisions in the job are two of the benefits Jason Norwood says winning the Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award in 2019 have had.

As Reesink Turfcare, award sponsor, and BIGGA announce the finalists for the 2021 competition, the timing is perfect to see what winning greenkeeping longest-standing and industry-leading awards has brought to Jason and his career.

Life-changing award for Jason Norwood

Life-changing award for Jason Norwood

The first is a life-changing one, he says: “By far the biggest difference winning the award has brought to my life is the confidence to make the big decision to leave my job in Harrogate and move countries to take the course manager job at Reay Golf Club, Britain’s most northerly 18-hole link course, in Scotland.

“I couldn’t visit the course before accepting the role due to COVID restrictions and I took the job knowing I would go from being one of nine in my previous role to working mainly on my own with help from volunteer members. But I knew it was the move I had to make to gain experience on a links course and put my newly acquired knowledge to the test.”

The newly acquired knowledge Jason is referring to comes from completing the turf management study course at the University of Massachusetts as part of the prize for winning the award.

Jason says: “The course and the experience were fantastic. They’ve given me the belief that what I am doing is right and I’ve got conviction in the decisions I make with the knowledge I acquired. As the only person tending the course, I’ve got no one to refer to so this is an essential quality to have in making day-to-day decisions.

“When I started at Reay, there hadn’t been a qualified greenkeeper on the course for 20 years and so very little science had been used when it came to fertiliser applications. This was something I wanted to change and have a programme dedicated to help maintain a healthy playing surface.

“One of my favourite lectures at UMass were those on soil. Being able to use the knowledge I gained from the lectures has been incredibly helpful and made it easier to understand how best to work towards giving the plant the correct amount of nutrients when required.

“My main achievement has been the definition and consistency of cutting I’ve been able to bring to the golf course. The amount of positive comments I’ve received about how the course is looking is really pleasing and hopefully overtime the changes being made to the fertiliser programme and with a few more additions of equipment will only make the course perform even better.”

At Reay is a small but perfectly formed Toro fleet, comprised of three Greensmaster 3250-D greens mowers, a Reelmaster 3100-D triplex mower with SideWinder and a Groundsmaster 4300 mower. Jason says: “The next new addition will hopefully be a new fairway mower. I’ve recommended a few other additions that will not only improve the the course, but also make it easier for the volunteers to mow areas of the course safely when they provide help during the growing season.”

So what about advice for this year’s shortlisted candidates for the Finals? “It’s an opportunity to grab with both hands,” he says. “You will learn so much and meet so many great people. Be yourself. Focus on your strengths and don’t force the situation. Lastly, enjoy it. It can literally be a life-changing experience.”

The Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Awards finals will be held on 6-7 September 2021 at Celtic Manor Resort in Wales.

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Grassroots hero wins award

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Grassroots hero wins award: A Redcar volunteer has been crowned the winner of the FA & McDonald’s Grassroots Grounds Team of the Year award.

Read the full article from Gazette Live here

Grassroots hero wins award

Grassroots hero wins award

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Glendale wins ground maintenance award

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Glendale wins ground maintenance award: Glendale is delighted to announce that they have been crowned Grounds Maintenance Company of the year at a prestigious Pro Landscaper Business Awards event held at East Wintergarden, Canary Wharf on Friday 30 July 2021

Glendale had also been shortlisted in the ‘Arboriculture Company of the Year’ category, totalling 2 out of a total of 15 categories up for grabs for many of the country’s greatest landscaping companies.

Glendale wins ground maintenance award

Glendale wins ground maintenance award

The Pro Landscaper Business Awards returned to London for the fourth successive year and once again brought the landscaping community together for an afternoon to acknowledge the excellent standards set within the landscape industry. Over 400 industry professionals were at the event for an afternoon of networking, great food, and celebration of the best that UK landscaping can deliver. Glendale had to demonstrate professionalism in everything that they do.  The judges were looking for the unsung heroes of the industry who consistently undertake the crucial everyday maintenance tasks, which many take for granted, with the upmost precision and pride.

They commended Glendale for their 30+ year history and for being a well-established and reputable business in the sector. Glendale’s collaboration with local communities providing over 52,000 hours of social value initiatives and the recognition that its staff are intrinsic to the success of operations were similarly commended.  Glendale commits a minimum of 0.5% of total turnover to staff and technology development initiatives. A key component of staff development is its apprenticeship programme – a member of the 5% club, apprentices made up 8% of its workforce in Feb 2021. Glendale delivers on mental health training to all contract managers, how to spot symptoms and how to provide help. Driving forward continual improvement Glendale has committed to achieving net carbon neutrality by 2027 with hopes it will inspire the rest of the industry to make similar goals.­­

Pro Landscaper’s Jim Wilkinson, said: “Our industry is exceptional at celebrating the visual excellence of landscaping with industry awards and RHS shows that highlight how phenomenal landscapes can look, but with the Pro Landscaper Business Awards, we chose to highlight how well businesses operate their processes, staff training, health and safety records and consistently positive customer feedback.”

Kate Anscombe Sales and Development Director said; “Glendale winning the Grounds Maintenance Company award, coincides with a period of exciting new contract wins and contract extensions for us. Across a period that has highlighted more than ever the importance of team work and collaboration and the impact working for a reputable company to provide incredible outdoor green space has to the health and wellbeing of our teams and customers.”

Glendale offers an all-encompassing green space management and maintenance service at a national and local level. They are skilled designers, suppliers and distributors of grounds maintenance, tree management, landscaping, landscape architectural services, winter weather and arboriculture activities, tackling these, and various other green space management tasks, for public and private sector clients across the UK. Glendale is a national company with a local feel, led by a team who care deeply about their people and the industry, and they are dedicated to delivering the best possible service for clients across the UK.

For More information visit https://www.glendale-services.co.uk/

Glendale, The Stables, Duxbury Park, Duxbury Hall Road, Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 4AT

Media information contact Paul Airey, https://piranha-solutions.com/

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Course manager receives industry award

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Course manager receives industry award: Royal Cinque Ports course manager James Bledge continued a fantastic month for links venues in Kent after being awarded top prize at the BIGGA Excellence in Communications Awards sponsored by BIGGA Partners Campey Turf Care Systems.

James was presented with a £750 cash prize and an all-expenses paid trip to Florida, when restrictions allow, on the Campey Turf Care Systems stand at Festival of Turf, which took place on 21 and 22 July 2021 at the Warwickshire Event Centre.

Course manager receives industry award

Course manager receives industry award

Located just a few short miles along the coast from this year’s Open Championship venue, Royal St George’s, the team at Royal Cinque Ports has developed a culture of education and strong communication, led by course manager James, 41.

BIGGA is the members’ association for golf greenkeepers in the United Kingdom and the BIGGA Excellence in Communications Awards recognise those BIGGA members who have undertaken outstanding work to further the cause of greenkeepers by promoting their activities through various channels, including the creation of thought-provoking articles for Greenkeeper International, the monthly journal of BIGGA.

James produced a feature that was selected for inclusion in the October 2020 edition of Greenkeeper International. The article touched upon the daily maintenance of the golf course and whether asking golfers to contribute to a course’s upkeep through activities such as raking bunkers detracts from the activities of the greenkeeping team.

Each month BIGGA encourages its members to submit articles for inclusion in Greenkeeper International, with a monthly prize of a £100 education voucher up for grabs, to be redeemed at BIGGA’s annual education programme Continue to Learn, held each January in Harrogate. James was kind enough to donate his voucher to another BIGGA member who would otherwise have been unable to attend.

From the 12 features that were selected for inclusion in the magazine throughout 2020, James’ piece, entitled “The Sands of Time: Should we dump the bunker rakes for good?” attracted praise from the competition judges for discussing a topic that stands in contrast to traditional thinking and sparked debate among readers.

The feature is available to read online here: https://www.bigga.org.uk/news-listing/should-we-dump-the-bunker-rakes-for-good.html

James said: “I was really shocked because I’ve never won anything like this before. I read every new entry that comes in, but I never thought my article was in the same calibre as those. How the article came about was I had a Sunday off, I got up and had a coffee and had a feeling that I wanted to write something. I turned the laptop on and wrote a few words and before I knew it I had enough words to submit for the magazine. It was never intended to enter a competition, it was just something I wanted to get off my mind. There are other guys and girls out there who have a lot to say and I would really encourage them to give it a shot.

“The prize is pretty exceptional and so my thanks go to Campey. We’re lucky in our industry that there are so many manufacturers and sponsors who put a lot of money into things like this. It’s phenomenal that we have all this support and we couldn’t do it without them.”

The BIGGA Excellence in Communications Awards continue throughout 2021 with BIGGA members encouraged to submit articles for inclusion in upcoming editions of Greenkeeper International. Head to the BIGGA website for more information.

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Etesia announce award winners

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Etesia announce award winners: Following what has been a challenging past 15 months, Etesia UK has announced the winners of four outstanding achievement awards.

The awards commend outstanding performances in sales, service, parts and customer service. The winners are: Peter Bagguley of Russells Groundcare and Allan Wright of Agrovista Amenity for outstanding individual achievement, while RD Mechanical and Sharrocks were awarded with outstanding company achievement awards.

Etesia announce award winners

Etesia announce award winners

The awards were handed out at the recent ET Lander electric utility vehicle and Pellenc new product launches held in May at Etesia UK’s offices in Oxfordshire.

Les Malin, Managing Director of Etesia UK said: “We heavily rely on our dealer network and the efforts of their sales teams in promoting both Etesia and Pellenc in the UK and Ireland.

“We’re delighted to be able to recognise the winners, which not only provide a snapshot of each dealers’ performance with us but also our support to all of our dealers in what has been a very challenging time for everyone in the sector.”

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk.

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Etesia UK on Twitter @EtesiaUK and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/EtesiaUK You can also view the latest Etesia videos by visiting www.youtube.com/EtesiaUK

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