Tag Archive for: feel-good

Agrovista’s roadshow has feel-good factor

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Agrovista’s roadshow has feel-good factor: The recent Agrovista Amenity Academy Roadshow, held at the stunning East Sussex National Golf Club, saw over 70 attendees soak up a memorable day of knowledge, networking, and wellbeing.

Greenkeepers and groundspersons ranging from course managers to apprentices, made their way to the East Sussex countryside to enhance their education on a variety of topics tailor-made for those working in the turf management sector.

Agrovista’s roadshow has feel-good factor

Agrovista’s roadshow has feel-good factor

Delegates were welcomed with breakfast rolls and breath-taking views across the finishing holes on both the East and West courses, before organiser and Amenity Specialist Andrew Norman introduced the day.

“Today we are focussing on wellbeing in turf, and it is relevant for absolutely everybody,” he said.

Without further ado, Danny Negus, Grounds Manager at Devonshire Park, took to the stage to discuss mental health.

“I thought it was received very well considering it is a very delicate and personal subject,” said Danny. “It gave me an opportunity to highlight some of the data that I collated last year which enabled me to emphasise the seriousness of wellbeing and mental health in this industry. We all need to realise there is not a stigma attached to this and we must look at moving forward in a positive way.”

After Danny’s presentation, the attendees were divided into three smaller groups to diversify the experience of the technical seminars which were to follow.

Alan Pierce from Aquatrols Europe was on hand to discuss the innovative plant technology behind the leading Redox range of nutritional products.

“Hopefully I have been able to provide some education around the Redox range but also to help them understand that while these tools aren’t a solution to some of the stresses they may be under, they can certainly help free up some head space to enable them to think about some of the bigger issues they might be facing,” he said.

Neil Pullen from Compo Expert offered his expertise on the different forms of slow-release fertilisers and explained in detail everything from how they are manufactured to how they are packaged.

Agrovista’s Karl Parry offered a glimpse into the online Agrovista Amenity Academy; introduced the latest trial data on BASF’s Attraxor plant growth regulator and also highlighted the benefits of PrecisionPro – an attachment for a granular spreader to make sure products are applied evenly and accurately. Delegates also had the opportunity to put PrecisionPro to the test once the seminar had concluded and it is safe to say that there was certainly some competition on display.

In between the seminars, lunch was served in the award winning two rosette restaurant, and the day concluded with drinks from the Ryder Bar & Terrace.

As the delegates continued to network and reflect, it was apparent that there was a certain feel-good factor associated with the day.

“As an apprentice I feel that there has been a lot of knowledge to gain and it has been really interesting,” said Anna Rose Smethurst from Holtye Golf Club. “It was good to find out more about the Agrovista Amenity Academy because it has been really helpful for my college work and for all the products I use. I’m taking a lot away with me.”

Josh Negus from Devonshire Park was another apprentice who benefited from attending: “The whole day has been a great wealth of information and the discussion on fertilisers was super informative,” he said.

Dean Franks from West Sussex Golf Club also found the day informative: “The PrecisionPro talk was a good eye-opener because calibration in terms of being the spray technician is really going to be helpful in my job role. I’ve learnt a lot about new products, and I’ve got some brochures to take away which I will be sure to revise.”

Networking was a key aspect of the day for Cuckfield Golf Centre’s Head Greenkeeper, Josh Clarke: “It has been great to meet other greenkeepers and chat about the industry and bounce ideas off one another. Networking is so important in this industry, but we rarely get together and speak.

“The online Agrovista Academy has been brilliant for us,” added Josh. “I’m always telling my team to use it so they can find out more about the products they are applying.”

Scott Litchfield, Course Manager at East Sussex National, was delighted to welcome so many peers to his place of work.

“We were very proud to host the day,” he said. “The majority of my team attended, and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Danny Negus’ seminar was absolutely superb. Mental health in this industry needs to be made more aware of – the more we talk about it the easier it becomes.”

Danny’s wellbeing seminar also struck a chord with Michael Sparke, Deputy Course Manager at Kings Hill Golf Club: “When you are out mowing on your own you can get lost in your own head. As we evolve as a society and anxiety and depression becomes more apparent, it is something that needs to be acknowledged more and improved upon.

“Finding out that so many of us are experiencing the same problems makes you realise you are not alone, and that we are all in this together.”

You can view a highlights video from the day by visiting https://youtu.be/oQ-LI46D7MY

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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SISIS partnership brings feel-good factor

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SISIS partnership brings feel-good factor: Waterhouses FC is the latest grassroots football club to benefit from the new partnership between Dennis, SISIS, Campey Turfcare and the Staffordshire Football Association.

This partnership will be a key component in the Football Association’s goal of improving a total of 20,000 grass pitches across England over the next decade.

SISIS partnership brings feel-good factor

SISIS partnership brings feel-good factor

Gareth Thomas, Commercial and Partnership Lead for Staffordshire FA, revealed how partnerships with such companies are integral to achieving this goal.

“We are measured by participation, so we are tasked by the government and the Football Association to get more people playing football,” he said. “The reality is, if clubs have not got good, quality surfaces to play on then people won’t want to play.

“Already we have seen a huge improvement from the clubs who have made the most of the funding by purchasing the right equipment. Working with the likes of SISIS helps to make our programme as impactful as it possibly can be.”

Waterhouses FC, based in North Staffordshire, plays a large part in the local community and is home to many teams ranging from Under 8’s upwards. The pitch improvement project has been driven by Waterhouses Parish Council and David Stone – Chairman, and Chris Hinton – Clerk to the Parish Council, explained why it was so important.

“Since 2008 the maintenance of the pitches has been down to the Parish Council, but with five villages within the parish, and with so much to do, it has been difficult to juggle everything,” said David. “As a result, the pitches suffered and now we want to improve them.

The facilities here are certainly worthy of that.”

Chris added: “From experience I’ve seen just how hard it is to find good pitches to play on when the bad weather hits. Quite often, teams will end up on a 3G pitch which costs a fortune. We quickly tuned into the fact that the FA is trying to improve this widespread problem.”

Through the programme, significant funding is available to support grassroots clubs, and part of the criteria involves a qualified pitch advisor visiting the site. Andy Jackson (Stoke FC Grounds Manager) visited Waterhouses FC and wrote a full report in which he recommended three pieces of equipment. One of those products was the SISIS Quadraplay.

The SISIS Quadraplay multiple-purpose, single-pass maintenance incorporates a mounted frame for up to four implements such as grooming rakes, spikers, slitters, rollers and brushes. The implements can be fitted to the mainframe in any order and can be independently adjusted to achieve the desired effect. Compact, robust, versatile and with the ability to carry out up to four operations simultaneously – the Quadraplay makes life a lot easier for many grounds persons, as Chris explained.

SISIS partnership brings feel-good factor

SISIS partnership brings feel-good factor

“The Quadraplay helps with the presentation of the pitch, it disperses the worm casts, it rolls the pitch and de-thatches it. Depending on weather, we plan on using it at least once a week – it will be invaluable to us.”

Gareth clarified why the Staffordshire FA will always be quick to recommend both the Quadraplay and SISIS in general.

“We don’t want clubs to buy equipment that they might only be able to use a couple of times a year,” he said. “The Quadraplay is ideal because it is versatile and can be used on a regular basis throughout the year. It is a product we are more than happy to put our name to.

“We know that all the products from SISIS are quality, but perhaps more importantly, the SISIS team are brilliant at ensuring grounds personnel know how the equipment works. They are always on the other end of the phone if you need them and if clubs aren’t too sure on when or how to use a product, a member of the SISIS team will be quick to visit and show them how.”

David admitted that the pitch improvement project has brought a feel-good factor to the community.

“The children, the families – all the local people that come here, will benefit from this,” he said. “The quality of the pitches will go up and the costs of doing it will go down, because we no longer have to bring in third parties.

“It’s really quite incredible to be honest.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

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

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.