Tag Archive for: Christmas

Christmas joy for children

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Christmas joy for children: Staffordshire Olympians Adam Burgess and Ben Williams played Santa to local children by delivering gifts donated to the JCB Christmas Toy Appeal.

The employee appeal got under way in November with the installation of 14 collection points at JCB plants in Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Wrexham – and a record 1,242 gifts were donated. Now the toys have been handed over to the Stoke-on-Trent Hubb Foundation, the NSPCC and Wrexham’s Yellow and Bue Charity for distribution to deserving children.

Christmas joy for children

Christmas joy for children

Slalom canoeist Adam Burgess and triple jumper Ben Williams – who are both sponsored by JCB – helped wrap the gifts donated to the Burslem-based Hubb Foundation and delighted children at nearby Mill Hill Primary Academy in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent when they delivered the first of the presents to them.

Tana Owen, The Hubb Foundation’s School Relationship Manager, said: “The donation of toys to the children means the absolute world to them and it’s all thanks to the JCB Christmas Toy Appeal. I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who donated a gift.”

Ben Williams, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, said: “These appeals are so, so important as not everybody is as fortunate as others. Having grown up in the exact area where this school is, I know the gifts donated to the JCB Christmas toy Appeal will be hugely appreciated.”

Adam Burgess, of Stone, said: “I remember being a kid at Christmas, we always had presents. It was always really exciting. I know that some kids aren’t so lucky. We’re in an area that is a bit disadvantaged and I’m really proud to be part of something like this in my local area which is supporting children at this time of year.”

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Dig deep for Perennial’s Christmas donation appeal

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Dig deep for Perennial’s Christmas donation appeal: With Christmas just around the corner, Perennial is appealing to the industry to grow wellbeing and support people working in horticulture this season by making a goodwill donation.

36% more people turned to the charity for help this year. With the winter months and festive season ahead, demand for support is expected to continue to increase.

Dig deep for Perennial’s Christmas donation appeal

Dig deep for Perennial’s Christmas donation appeal

“We rely on support from people like you to help us be there. Every day people get in contact either for themselves, to help a loved one or on behalf of a colleague,” says Perennial’s Director of Marketing and Fundraising Anita Bates, stressing that “Whilst this is a time for family and celebration for many, we appreciate that for lots of people – in horticulture and elsewhere – times are difficult and that money may be tight. But, if you can, please donate today. Thank you and from all of us here at Perennial we wish you a very happy Christmas and New Year.”

As the only UK charity helping everyone working in or retired from horticulture and their families, there are lots of reasons why people turn to Perennial such as bereavement, the impact of an accident, health issues or a family breakdown. Many also access Perennial’s free advice and information online and via their free health & wellbeing and money management tools.

As a reminder of why the charity is here and a way to spread goodwill, you can see and share Perennial’s videos on social inspired by real-life stories, highlighting the different types of help the charity is approached for.

Everyone in the horticultural community can play their part this Christmas. Your support – whatever the amount – will help Perennial to be there for your colleagues and maybe your own friends and family this season and beyond. You can make a difference, big or small, as a one-off or regular gift.

Donate at perennial.org.uk/donate

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JCB Christmas toy appeal breaks record

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JCB Christmas toy appeal breaks record: JCB’s annual Christmas Toy Appeal is set to deliver a sackful of festive cheer to children in Staffordshire and Wrexham thanks to a record number of gift donations.

The appeal got under way in November with the installation of 14 collections points at JCB plants in Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Wrexham. Today it was revealed that a total of 1,242 gifts had been donated as George Burton, aged five, and brother Henry, aged three, handed over the final two toys for the appeal to JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford in the reception at JCB’s World HQ at Rocester where all the presents are assembled.

JCB Christmas toy appeal breaks record

JCB Christmas toy appeal breaks record

Now the gifts are being handed over to the NSPCC, the Stoke-on-Trent Hubb Foundation and Wrexham-based Yellow and Blue charity, for distribution to children at Christmas. As well as huge support from JCB employees, the GMB Union also donated £1,250 to buy toys, the JCB Academy raised £300 for the purchase of gifts and IT specialists Cap Gemini donated 40 toys.

Lord Bamford said today: “When it comes to supporting a good cause, JCB employees are second to none. Every single one of the gifts donated will make a difference to a child this Christmas and it is heart-warming to see that everyone has given so generously.”

Adam Yates, Chief Operating Officer of the Hubb Foundation, said: “I can’t thank everyone at JCB enough for what they have done. I can say without any doubt that The JCB Christmas Toy Appeal really does make Christmas so much brighter for many hundreds of children in Staffordshire. I saw that for myself last year, which is why we are so grateful for every single gift which is donated.”

Rachael Holdcroft, NSPCC Strategic Service Manager (Together for Childhood, Stoke), said: “It is so heart-warming to see more than 1,200 gifts which have been donated to the JCB Christmas Toy Appeal because I know just what an impact this will have on the children this Christmas. I know that this year has been difficult for so many, so it really is incredible to know that even though times are tough, people still care about children and want to do their bit to ensure that all children receive a gift at Christmastime.”

Employees at JCB’s plants in Rocester, Uttoxeter, Cheadle, Hixon, Foston and Wrexham all took part in the appeal, helping beat last year’s donation total of 1,000 gifts.

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Polaris’ all-new Youth offers for Christmas

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Polaris’ all-new Youth offers for Christmas: With Christmas fast approaching, Polaris UK announces all-new offers on its Youth lineup with savings of up to almost £1,300 on select models when purchased from an official Polaris dealer, available until 24th December 2023.

Aiming to encourage young riders to take the games outside and discover new adventures in the beautiful countryside, Polaris has given parents even more reason to give the gift of adventure this Christmas with incredible discounts across its Youth side-by-side and ATV models. Customers can get almost £1,300 including VAT off the retail price of a RANGER 150 EFI, and almost £1,000 including VAT off the retail price of its Outlaw 70 EFI, Outlaw 110 EFI and Sportsman 110 EFI Youth ATVs.

Polaris' all-new Youth offers for Christmas

Polaris’ all-new Youth offers for Christmas

Providing the perfect gift for adventurous, adrenaline-seeking kids, Polaris Youth vehicles combine off-road fun with important safety, technology and performance features for parent’s peace of mind. Not only does an off-road vehicle give young riders a reason to get outside, but it is also a gift that will grow with them through the years thanks to adjustable riding options and flexible parent-adjustable speed limiters that can be used to adapt the machine to suit their age, experience and skill. With the entire full-size Polaris Off-Road line-up also available, it’s an activity the whole family can enjoy.

RANGER 150 EFI

For side-by-side performance that kids will love, the RANGER 150 is the industry’s first youth vehicle with smart safety features, making it the ideal vehicle for children to enjoy safely.

The RANGER 150 EFI is ahead of the safety game with Polaris’ all-new Helmet Aware technology which allows parents to pre-set the vehicle’s controls so it won’t start when the helmet beacon is out of range. Not only that, the RANGER 150 also features geofencing capabilities so parents can keep their kids in safe, set parameters whilst riding. From the Ride Command app, parents can control the ride boundaries and set specific speed limits for both inside and outside a geofenced area. Digital speed limiting ensures that kids are riding at the appropriate speed for their age, experience and terrain, and can be easily increased as they grow. The Youth RANGER also features password protection for the engine start, meaning that parents can control when the vehicle is being operated by simply entering a passcode to allow the engine to start.

At 150cc of power with electronic fuel injection, 8” of ground clearance and 22.7kg of storage capacity, the RANGER 150 EFI is ready for a full day of safe riding. Easily operated with automatic PVT transmission (forward/neutral/reverse), plus hydraulic disc brakes on the front and rear and adjustable seats with a tilt steering wheel for the perfect fit. For ultimate safety, every purchase of a RANGER 150 comes with two youth helmets, a safety flag and a training DVD.

Until 24th December, customers can save £1,279.80 on the purchase of a new RANGER 150 EFI, including VAT.

OUTLAW 70 EFI / OUTLAW 110 EFI

Delivering industry-leading safety features and benefits that are designed to grow with young riders, the Outlaw 70 EFI provides reliability you can trust for the next generation. The child-friendly ATV is equipped with advanced safety features for parents’ peace of mind, delivering convenient and reliable single-lever disc brakes, an enclosed engine, a parent-adjustable speed limiter to fit the rider’s age and skill level, and an industry-exclusive safety kit with a Polaris youth helmet, safety tether, training DVD and whip flag.

The upgraded 70cc engine and new ergonomic design are specifically sized for a wider age range for riders aged 6 and up, enabling young riders to enjoy the machine for longer. The Outlaw 70 also comes with electronic fuel injection (EFI) offering improved cold starts and LED lighting for improved visibility. All-new accessories include front-and-rear bumpers, a storage bag, a windshield and a decal kit that allows kids to customize the machine and make it their own.

The Outlaw is also available in a larger engine size – the Outlaw 110 EFI – to provide the next step up for the next generation. Featuring a reliable 112cc 4-stroke engine with electronic fuel injection, the Outlaw 110 EFI is aimed at riders aged 10 and up.

Until 24th December, customers can save £959.80 on the purchase of a new Outlaw 70 EFI, including VAT, as well as saving £999.80 on the purchase of a new Outlaw 110 EFI, including VAT.

SPORTSMAN 110 EFI

The Youth version of Polaris’ bestselling Sportsman ATV; the Sportsman 110 EFI features a reliable 112cc 4-stroke engine ideal for riders aged 10 and up, and boasts the same legendary handling prowess as its adult equivalent. Packed with youth-centred safety features that come as standard, like a speed limiting adjuster, safety flag, daytime running lights, a safety tether, a Polaris youth helmet as well as a training DVD led by Polaris certified trainers, the Sportsman 110 EFI is the ideal machines for kids looking for a comfortable ride and effortless handling whilst out on a big adventure.

Until 24th December, customers can save £999.80 on the purchase of a new Sportsman 110 EFI, including VAT.

Forget video games this Christmas; nature is our playground!

Find your local Polaris dealers on the Polaris Britain website here.

For more information on this offer, please contact your local dealer. Read the full terms and conditions here.

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Perennial launches Christmas appeal

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Perennial launches Christmas appeal: In the lead up to Christmas, Perennial, the charity helping people in horticulture, is launching an urgent appeal in response to the worst cost of living crisis seen in a generation. People in horticulture are on some of the lowest incomes in the UK and the impact of the crisis is being felt across the industry as we approach the festive period.  

The charity is calling for donations to support its services and prevent people in horticulture from struggling emotionally and financially this season and beyond.

Perennial launches Christmas appeal

Perennial launches Christmas appeal

The pressures of Christmas combined with the strain of increased energy bills, interest rates and food costs are cause for concern. Circumstances will worsen still when winter hits and freezing temperatures slow the pace of work, leaving people with less money.

In anticipation of higher calls to its helpline and demand for its services this winter, Peter Newman, Perennial’s Chief Executive says:

“After two years of pandemic and lockdowns, we emerged into 2022 only to encounter massive increases in energy costs along with hikes in interest rates and food costs. In the horticulture sector, where many are not well paid, people are under strain and we can see the evidence of this by the number of people contacting our helpline. We’re hearing from people on tight budgets, who are facing more than just a squeeze on their income. These are real people experiencing real difficulty. Worryingly, the worst is yet to come this winter when we must switch on our central heating, or not, as the case may be for some. Every year I am heartened by the generosity of our supporters. Please donate if you can.”

When a Hampshire-based landscaper called Perennial for help, its team at was able to talk through the situation and provide advice. He was struggling with significant business and personal debt and had suffered a mental health crisis. He says: “Perennial was there for me in my hour of need and may well have saved my life. It sounds dramatic, but their calm guidance at a time when my life was in turmoil massively helped me. I’m in a far better place now both financially and mentally. There’s a macho thing that you have to get on with it, but sometimes you just can’t, and you’ve got to share the load. I hope that my story will help others.”

This story echoes the lives of thousands of others who are also struggling.

You can help people in horticulture this season by making a donation online at justgiving.com/perennialchristmas2022

People in horticulture can call Perennial for support and advice on 0800 093 8543 or visit perennial.org.uk.

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Christmas all year round with Pellenc

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Christmas all year round with Pellenc: The battery-powered Pellenc Prunion pruning shears have proved to be instrumental in helping one of the UK’s largest Christmas tree growers.

Tayside Forestry has been producing Christmas trees in the heart of the Angus countryside in Scotland for nearly 60 years. The company produces approximately 80,000 Christmas trees each year on 500 acres of prime land and its clients include large retail businesses, wholesalers and garden centres. It also sells directly to the public from the farm throughout December, turning its farm shed into a Christmas tree forest and light show.

Christmas all year round with Pellenc

Christmas all year round with Pellenc

Adam Robinson is the Farm Manager for Tayside Forestry and oversees the growing and the selling of the Christmas trees. He explained how the centrepiece of every home during the festive period takes a lot of hard work and dedication.

“Nordmann Fir and Fraser Fir are the main crops that we grow, and we have about 1.1 million trees in the ground,” he said. “We will normally take the trees out of the field in their seventh year, but we have to carefully nurture them along the way.

“During the process we let them grow and develop their root system and once they have got to a certain height (approximately thigh level) we will continue shaping the tree to make sure they have that beautiful Christmas tree shape.

“In particular, we carry out bottom handling on the trees,” continued Adam. “The purpose of this is to keep the bottom ten inches of the tree clear of branches so that people can get the Christmas trees into the stands. This is where the Pellenc Prunion comes in.”

The Prunion pruning shears are ideal for growers looking for the most powerful, lightest and most innovative tool on the market. Its grip fits any hand, and its large cutting diameter makes it incredibly comfortable to use. The numerous innovations of this pruning shear make it indispensable for professionals seeking either freedom of movement with the 150P pocket or the possibility to alternate tools with the 250 battery, which allows users to connect two Pellenc tools simultaneously.

Tayside Forestry purchased five Prunions with the 250 batteries from Pellenc distributor Agrovista Amenity and Adam revealed that they have made a huge difference to operations.

“Previously we used to have an air compressor and a lot of hose to do this job, but it was costly and took a very long time – we needed a solution,” he said. “Now, with the Pellenc Prunions we are so much more agile – you don’t have to have an air hose cable following you round or an air compressor.

“The team moves more freely and simply walk around the trees – the job is now completed in a much quicker time. One of the main reasons for purchasing the Prunion is because many of our fields are located on steep hills and it can get to where all the other equipment just cannot.

“There are quite a few settings and operating modes which is really handy. For example, if you are in a field with big branches at the bottom of the tree, you can adjust the settings to open the shears wider; and you can be sensitive on the trigger or aggressive depending on the task. It is a very precise tool.”

Adam estimates that last year the five Pellenc pruning shears were used for somewhere between 167 and 189 hours, and never once did the battery power fail the Tayside Forestry team.

Christmas all year round with Pellenc

Christmas all year round with Pellenc

“The team can be out in the field cutting with them constantly from 7am-5pm,” continued Adam. “Not one set has ever run out of battery on us – you could easily get two days’ work out of them.

“Originally, they were just purchased for bottom handling, but we have found a lot of other uses for them like clearing old fields, bottom handling very old trees, they can be used alongside marking trees, collecting branches and making Christmas wreaths.”

After working hard throughout the year, Adam sent the Prunions for an annual service at the expert Pelllenc technical centre in Edinburgh.

“I was very impressed with the service and it was all part of the warranty agreement,” he said. “I simply dropped them off locally to Agrovista Amenity and all five Prunions were back within a couple of weeks with new blades and in excellent condition ready to be put to work again.

“I’ve used electrics for quite a number of years for pruning and these are the best set I’ve ever come across,” Adam continued. “They are practical, easy to use, cost effective and function very well. They have proved to be an exceptionally good purchase.”

Pellenc products are exclusively distributed in the UK by Etesia UK.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.pellencuk.com

You can also follow Pellenc on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @PellencUK for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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Merry Christmas from Turf Matters

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Merry Christmas from Turf Matters: Rarely will a new year be treated with such gusto as 2021. I will certainly not be alone in wishing Good Riddance to 2020, although I am well aware of the fact that the advent of the new year doesn’t wipe the Covid slate clean.

It will be with us for most of the year but at least the vaccines mean that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and dreams of normality are not as fanciful as they were a few months ago.

Merry Christmas from Turf Matters

Merry Christmas from Turf Matters

I’m proud to be associated with an industry sector which has provided so many key workers, and that fact demonstrates just how important the work done in this industry is to the fabric of society as a whole.

Can you just imagine what would have been facing us when we came out of that first long lockdown if no-one had attended to the green spaces – cut the grass and managed the trees? Jungle comes to mind.

And, when we came out of lockdown, what gave us that little bit of hope? Golf courses being open and top class sport returning to our televisions. One of my memories of lockdown was how Saturday afternoons were just the same as every other after. No Jeff Stelling and his posse of television watching pundits!

When that changed, and we had golf, cricket, rugby and horse racing back on the television, it felt right, even given the lack of crowds and galleries.

That couldn’t have happened without dedicated groundsmen and greenkeepers moving back from ticking over mode to full blown, high octane turf management.

Thank you!

Now please enjoy a responsible, socially distanced festive holiday and join me in waving good-bye to 2020.

Scott MacCallum

Editor

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Scott MacCallum Christmas Update

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Scott MacCallum Christmas Update: It seems like only a blink of an eye when we were saying. Goodbye to 2017 and welcoming in 2018 and now we are back doing the same but one year on.

However, looking back 2018 was a pretty action packed sporting year.

Ireland clinched a Grand Slam in the Six Nations and went on to defeat World Champions later in the year. The Six Nations is truly one of the stand-out events on the calendar and the quality of the venues and the pitches are fine examples of how far not just stadiums but pitch maintenance have come in the last 10 years.

The Winter Olympics, perhaps, didn’t need the expertise of turf managers, but piste and ice preparation is an art in itself.

The World Cup in Russia was a triumph. The feared issues didn’t materialise and the Russian population welcomed everyone with open arms. An example of how sport can cut through the, let’s use the word “nonsense” with pervades so many other areas of life.

The World Cup caught the imagination, thanks to the progress of Gareth Southgate and his team.

It might have been the fact that no-one can really dislike Gareth and his team were much more open and accessible than previously, but even in Scotland, where I watched the matches, there were cheers when England scored and progressed through the rounds.

An end to the 52 years of hurt may have been a step too far for those of us on the northern side of Hadrian’s Wall though.

Many UK companies were involved in the World Cup which, in itself, is testimony to the quality of product and service we  are lucky enough to enjoy here.

It is sad but a true that it was good news that most of the other great sporting events were carried off – once we waved goodbye to the Beast from the East and welcomed a summer to remember – without any adverse headlines relating to the quality of the playing areas. Wimbledon, various Test series, Cheltenham and Aintree, The Open at Carnoustie and too many more to list here.

There is always a chance that adverse weather and disease can impact upon sports surfaces but the advances in both the products and the skills of the turf managers has seen those chances reduce over the years and excellence is now commonplace.

We have another exciting year ahead of us in 2019 and on behalf of Tim, Sinead, Marie and myself I wish you all the very best for the new year and for the festive time over the next few days.

Scott MacCallum

Editor

Cambridge Mow Christmas Tree Into Pitch

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Cambridge Mow Christmas Tree Into Pitch: League Two outfit Cambridge United have shown their Christmas spirit by mowing a Christmas tree into their pitch.

The special design at Abbey Stadium for the U’s game against Yeovil Town on Saturday was created by groundsman Ian Darler and features stars and baubles.

Cambridge Mow Christmas Tree Into Pitch

“Our Groundsman does Christmas better than yours”, the club tweeted, along with a picture of the pitch.

Cue a number of ‘hilarious’ responses, including: “Think they should be focusing on getting the tree points myself…”.

The club itself tweeted: “Gary Deegan is very much aiming for the tree points today.”

Leicester City were famous for their inventive mowing patterns but they were banned by the Premier League at the start of the 2017-18 season.

Top-flight rules state the playing surface must contain no markings other than the traditional horizontal and white lines.

Click here to read the original article

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Kubota Launch Christmas Campaign

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Kubota Launch Christmas Campaign: Kubota UK has launched #KubotaChristmas, a festive social media campaign to thank and reward the company’s dealer and end-user customers by giving them the chance to win a host of exciting Kubota branded presents this Christmas.

The festive campaign will be launched on Kubota UK’s Facebook and Twitter pages on Friday 15 December, kick starting a ten-day countdown to Christmas with prizes to be won every single day!

Kubota Launch Christmas Campaign

Kubota UK is encouraging all of its social media fans and followers to get involved by entering and sharing the campaign.  Watch out for a new and fun #KubotaChristmas video animation to appear every morning.  The video sees Santa Claus heading off in his sleigh from Kubota Corporation’s head office in Japan to the shores of the UK and Ireland with a sack full of presents.

Last year’s grand prize winner, Andy Roberts, said: “I think the Kubota Christmas campaign is brilliant.  I’ve been an avid follower of Kubota UK on social media for a number of years and the content they share is fantastic.

“The fact that they reward followers with prizes every now and then, particularly at Christmas, is superb.  My young lad was absolutely delighted with his very own Kubota pedal tractor, it made his Christmas, I don’t know whose smile was biggest, mine or his! I would encourage everyone to enter as there are some great gifts to be won.”

On Facebook, fans simply need to answer questions related to the festive period to be in with a chance of winning a whole host of Kubota merchandise, from beanie hats and body warmers, to pedal tractors.  Entries via Twitter will encourage individuals to retweet and like the post to win a present.

Karen Tipping, Marketing Manager at Kubota UK, commented: “Our Christmas campaigns are all about giving back and thanking our customers for their loyal support.  This is our third year now and the feedback we receive is excellent.  I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at Kubota UK and good luck entering our #KubotaChristmas campaign.”

For more information about how to enter, visit the Kubota UK Facebook page or follow @KubotaUK on Twitter.

For more information, visit: www.kubota-eu.com

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