Tag Archive for: Campaign

MND campaign celebrated at RHS Flower Show

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MND campaign celebrated at RHS Flower Show: A garden dedicated to Doddie Weir and his charity for research into Motor Neurone Disease will be showcased at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park 2024 this summer as the show celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Designed by Pip Probert, My Name’5 Doddie will incorporate the colours of the player’s own private tartan, sculptures representing players in a line out, rugby goal posts and a water feature based on the tartan flower brooch used by the charity.

MND campaign celebrated at RHS Flower Show

MND campaign celebrated at RHS Flower Show

Weir was one of rugby’s most recognisable personalities. The Scot revealed in June 2017 he was suffering from MND and launched the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation in November of that year with a vision of ridding the world of the disease. The garden’s scheme will represent the number 5 – his position in the sport.

Other gardens include The 1804 Garden by Carolyn Hardern and Jon Jarvis, the design duo behind last year’s Best Show Garden. Hardern and Jarvis continue their campaign to support construction workers, this time focusing on how a garden can be designed to mitigate against the risks of melanoma caused by excessive sun exposure.

Skills of local artisans and crafts people are celebrated in The Grant Horticulture Arts & Crafts Garden by Callum Bain MacKay. Inspired by the arts and crafts movement, billowing grasses, multi-stemmed trees and soft pastel toned perennials are interspersed with a hand-milled and hand-constructed timber pavilion, and hand-crafted wooden patio furniture and creasing tile sculptures, with materials sourced locally to emphasise sustainability.

The final Show Garden comes from Ollie Pike, with This Garden Isn’t Finished Without You, sponsored by the Methodist Church, showcasing the church’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

In the Terrace Gardens, Tom Saunders will bring a touch of the Andes to a Peak District setting with The Orchid Garden, after the designer’s travels to South America where he saw the flowers growing in their natural ecosystem and realised that native orchids can be grown domestically and set within dry stone walls.

Sophie Godber’s Big Picture Garden highlights conscious consumerism, embracing a repurposed appearance with objects and materials sourced from a 19th century farmstead to demonstrate how building a new garden doesn’t need to cost the earth, while Hilary Newhall’s The Secret Garden: For Us, By Us raises awareness of autistic adults and the challenges they encounter, particularly in employment and being a business owner.

This year will also see the return of the Long Borders. Women’s rights and the colours of the Women’s Suffrage Movement are highlighted in Susan Booth’s garden, Barbie says, ‘Women can be anything they want.’ (On the shoulders of giants), complete with glitter ball. Other themes touched upon include the Cheshire rail network, LGBTQ+ rights, the Manchester skyline and an edible family garden.

This year, the show has also introduced a new competition, RHS Career Changers of the Year, reflecting the increasing number of people who are choosing to enter horticulture and garden design. The show will also host the coveted RHS Young Designer of the Year competition, launching the careers of many a top name talent. Further details of entrants for these categories will be announced in due course.

The next time that RHS Flower Show Tatton Park will be on the site will be in 2027, as part of a roster of changes to the shows schedule announced by the RHS earlier this year.

Sarah Poll, RHS Head of Shows Development, said: “What a fantastic line-up for the 25th anniversary of the wonderful RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. From gardens addressing illnesses such as MND to sustainability, arts and crafts, orchids and even Barbie – we’re delighted to showcase the best of cutting-edge design and thought provoking gardens. We’ve also got a superb range of food and drinks, live entertainment and shopping opportunities so everyone, young or old, families or individuals can come and enjoy a great day out.”

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park takes place from 17-21 July. Tickets can be bought here: www.rhs.org.uk/tatton

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BIGGA’s mental health campaign

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BIGGA’s mental health campaign: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) has launched a campaign that will see the membership organisation combat a recognised rise in mental health struggles among golf club staff.

BIGGA has pledged to create 100 mental health first aiders during 2023, who will receive training that will give them the skills to support golf greenkeepers and other clubhouse staff through any difficulties they may be experiencing.

BIGGA's mental health campaign

BIGGA’s mental health campaign

Poor mental health is one of the biggest challenges facing society today. A much-quoted fact is that 75% of deaths of men aged 50 and under are due to suicide, making it the biggest cause of death in that age bracket. The greenkeeping industry itself has been rocked by several tragic losses in recent years and in 2021 BIGGA undertook a survey that revealed 80% of greenkeepers had worried about the mental health of a colleague.

Working environments and money concerns are major causes of stress and mental health problems and BIGGA is working alongside golf’s governing bodies to improve governance and working practices at golf clubs. Stronger, more positive and respectful working environments should help relieve some of the undue pressures placed upon staff at present.

To further support those working in the golf industry, BIGGA has launched its campaign to train 100 mental health first aiders across the country. The training course provides the first aiders with knowledge to help them recognise signs or signals that colleagues or friends may be experiencing difficulties and empowers them to direct others towards available help.

The cost of the course is being met by BIGGA with support from The R&A and participants will receive a certificate from Mental Health England. In addition, participants will receive three years’ ongoing training and support from Mental Health England.

The opportunity to get involved is open to BIGGA members, including greenkeepers and trade representatives who spend much of their time on the road, visiting greenkeeping teams.

The first course will be held in February at Edgbaston Golf Club and further events will be hosted around the country, helping to build a national network of mental health first aiders.

The campaign is being led by BIGGA’s Steve Dudley-Brown, himself a former greenkeeper and course manager with 25 years’ experience in the industry.

Steve said: “During my career as a greenkeeper, I experienced several of my colleagues having mental health difficulties. It’s a scary situation knowing that you have someone in front of you and they are upset and afraid. You want to try and support them the best you can. This training course will give people the ability to understand a little more about what the person is going through and point them in the right direction for help.”

For more information or to register an interest, email steven.db@bigga.co.uk

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Cobra launches Mow For Your Mind campaign

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Cobra launches Mow For Your Mind campaign: Leading lawnmower manufacturer, Cobra, has launched its Mow For Your Mind campaign, in support of mental health charity, Mind.

As part of this and the brand’s commitment to helping mental health causes, Cobra is donating 10% of the total sales of one of its most popular models between 4th and 15th May to mental charity, Mind. The award-winning MX3440V cordless lawnmower has been chosen as the ‘Mow For Your Mind’ mower, to help gardeners enhance mindfulness while mowing the lawn.

Cobra launches Mow For Your Mind campaign

Cobra launches Mow For Your Mind campaign

Managing director of Cobra said: “One in four people will experience mental health problems, which really is quite shocking. However, it’s been proven that gardening and spending time outdoors can significantly help boost mental health and aid wellbeing. As one of the biggest names in garden machinery in the UK, we feel it is our duty to help and to support Mind with the amazing work that it does. As well as the financial support we’re pledging from the sales of our Mow For Your Mind mower throughout Mental Health Awareness Week in May, we’re also actively encouraging gardeners to take time to enjoy the wider benefits of gardening and mowing the lawn, such as how it gives you chance to take time out from the busyness of modern life, reduces stress levels, improves mood and even gives a better night’s sleep!”

Cobra dealers are encouraged to help promote the campaign to boost donations to the charity, and are being supported by Cobra with showroom POS, swing tickets and totem poles being provided to aid promotion to customers.

The MX3440V cordless 40V lawnmower, which has been selected as the “Mow For Your Mind” mower for 2022, retails at £232.99. It offers five cutting heights ranging between 25mm and 75mm, easily allowing adjustment throughout the year to provide for healthy grass during every season. With a 34cm/13” cutting width, it is ideal for small to medium gardens, and offers compact storage too.

The MX34440V is part of the extensive battery powered garden machinery range from Cobra, which includes not only lawnmowers but also hedgetrimmers, leaf blowers and grass strimmers that are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that are interchangeable throughout the range. The battery can be fully charged from flat in 85 minutes, giving the MX3440V a run time of up to 30 mins – the perfect amount of time to take in nature and boost mental health.

For further information about Cobra, please visit www.cobragarden.co.uk and to find out more about Mind and the work the charity does, visit www.mind.org.uk.

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GMA campaign kicks-off to attract future workforce

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GMA campaign kicks-off to attract future workforce: New research to coincide with #GroundsWeek finds high levels of job satisfaction and fulfilment among grounds staff and volunteers, urging those outside of the industry to try grounds management

  • Those who work outdoors get greater fulfilment from their roles, and feel more rewarded than those who work behind a desk (77% vs 47%)
  • 63% of grounds staff and volunteers “love” their job, and almost all (90%) are passionate about the sector
  • Key attributes of a career in grounds management include being outdoors and active, taking pride in the end result, working in sport, and the day-to-day variety
  • This #GroundsWeek, the GMA is encouraging more people to work outdoors in sectors like grounds management or horticulture  
GMA campaign kicks-off to attract future workforce

GMA campaign kicks-off to attract future workforce

The Grounds Management Association (GMA), the leading not-for-profit membership body for grounds professionals and volunteers, is marking its annual #GroundsWeek (28th February – 6th March) with a campaign to help tackle the lack of skilled talent coming into the industry.

Targeting young people and those already in employment in other sectors, #GroundsWeek aims to reach those taking stock of their personal and professional trajectories and reassessing what they truly want from life. With the backdrop of the pandemic, fulfilment is key.

The GMA’s recent survey of over three hundred grounds staff and volunteers show high levels of job satisfaction and fulfilment, with 63% saying they “love” their job, and almost all (90%) report being passionate about the sector. Some of the key attributes of a career in grounds management, as reported by both paid staff and volunteers, include:

  • Being outdoors and active
  • Taking pride in the end result
  • Working in sport
  • The day-to-day variety
  • Working as part of a team
  • Learning new skills

Geoff Webb, CEO of the GMA, says: “After highlighting the recruitment crisis, now we want to show the world the true potential of working in grounds management. Work can dominate most of our time so it’s important to consider how a job makes us feel. We know there are challenges across the sector, but we also know that grounds management is a varied and rewarding role – it gives people who love sport and outdoor activities the opportunity to work in a variety of settings like iconic sports venues, educational grounds, parks and estates, as well as across local community sports facilities. By sharing the positives and tackling the misconceptions that exist, we hope to attract more talent into the sector.”

To coincide with this year’s #GroundsWeek, the GMA has also released separate research highlighting that people with jobs in the outdoors, including grounds staff, get greater fulfilment from their roles, with 77% saying they feel rewarded and a strong sense of achievement at the end of each day. This is compared to 47% of people working behind a desk. The research further highlights that those working indoors or behind a desk feel a greater negative impact on their physical (43% vs 35%) and mental health (50% vs 18%), compared with those who work outside.

The research also reveals that 83% of indoor workers would consider a career change, with the desire to learn new things (49%), greater variety of daily tasks (33%), and wanting to spend more time outdoors (73%), being the most commonly cited reasons. What’s more, over a third (34%) of indoor workers feel unfulfilled in their current roles. In contrast, 73% of outdoor workers view their current role, and its future opportunities, as a career for life.

Geoff Webb continues: “Grounds staff work with skill, dedication, and passion to produce quality surfaces for sports and recreational spaces all year round. Labelled the ‘hidden profession’, a key focus for us now is helping more young people and those outside of the sector understand what it involves, and how to get into grounds.”

With a booming sports sector in the UK and growing demand in the turf care sector for skilled talent, the GMA is encouraging more young people and those tempted by a career change to consider a career in grounds management. To encourage more young people into the sector, the GMA has been working closely with schools through its ‘Schools into Stadia’ initiative, which introduces GCSE-level school children to the art of grounds management through a series of one-day workshops, showcasing the profession as an ideal opportunity to work in an outdoor environment within sport.

The GMA is also working to elevate the grounds sector by tackling its misconceptions and upskilling future workforce through its training and qualifications. Its annual salary framework is imperative to shaping the future of grounds management and help employers understand minimum rates of pay based on the skills required at each level.

John Wright, Chair of the GMA Young Board, and Head Grounds Manager at Southampton FC, says: “I joined this sector a decade ago because I love sport and the outdoors, and this is a career that allows me to be involved with both. Now, I can’t imagine doing anything else. 

“There are vast opportunities for people in this sector and career fulfilment is something that so many of us within it feel on a day-to-day basis. This #GroundsWeek, I hope young people and those who might not feel satisfied in their current job think about learning more about grounds management, because this could definitely be the right career move for them.”

For more information about the GMA and this year’s GroundsWeek campaign, visit: [thegma.org.uk/groundsweek]

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FA bolster ‘Power Up Your Grass Pitch’ campaign

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FA bolster ‘Power Up Your Grass Pitch’ campaign: Shropshire FA is ready to bolster the offering from the new ‘Power Up Your Grass Pitch’ campaign using the expertise and machinery of Campey Turf Care Systems.

The new initiative from the Premier League, The FA, and the Government’s Football Foundation aims to revolutionise the state of grass football pitches in England. The mission set out by the Football Foundation is to improve over 7,000 grass pitches by 2024 and 20,000 by 2030 to ensure the 12 million grassroots footballers have great places to play.

FA bolster ‘Power Up Your Grass Pitch’ campaign

FA bolster ‘Power Up Your Grass Pitch’ campaign

A significant part of this is reducing the 150,000 cancelled matches due to poor pitch quality last season, and at Shropshire FA, this role falls to Strategy, Facilities and Partnerships Lead Andy Weston.

With over 20-years of experience in football administration, Andy is no stranger to the impact pitches can have. After seeing Campey in action at an open day, he knew they were prime candidates to push their pitch improvement efforts for 180 clubs in Shropshire forward. Jason Moody, Product Specialist for Campeys, has worked closely with Andy to ensure that the right balance of equipment and back-up support was in place.

“Campey has a track record of working with a number of other County FAs, and we did a demo day with them at one of our clubs, and they gave a run-through of the machinery they offer, what it does and gave some hands-on tips. We had several clubs come along, and the feedback was great, so we decided to make something more formal to showcase what they do and how it can improve pitches in our county.

“High-quality pitches are vital to the game, and we are in a position now where the funding and opportunities are there to support the volunteers who work tirelessly week in and week out, and the expertise of Campey is really important to what we want to achieve.

“The game can’t run without volunteers and particularly at grassroots level. You’re reliant on them, and it’s imperative that organisations like Campey are on hand to work with us to provide that support and knowledge on the ground. In these last 18 months, we have all spent a lot of time on Zoom calls. Still, in this instance, I don’t think you can beat being on the ground and hands-on with the equipment because any little snippets of information they can share with those grounds people is invaluable. I think even the most experienced grounds people will benefit from having a conversation with Campey and listening to their experts.

“As well as Jason from Campeys, we are also working with Pitch Advisor Kevin Duffield, so with all those different bodies involved, it is really helpful to the grounds teams up and down our county.”

Teams in Shropshire range from AFC Telford United down the football pyramid to Sunday league outfits. The one thing they all have in common is the need for a good pitch, and through this initiative, Andy aims to make the whole of the county a better place to play football.

For more information on the funding opportunities available in Shropshire, contact Andy.Weston@shropshirefa.com or info@campeyturfcare.com.

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