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New research shows growing crisis for sport

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New research shows growing crisis for sport: During GroundsWeek (1-7 March 2021), a celebration week for the turf care sector, the Grounds Management Association (GMA) has released new research that highlights the crisis the UK is facing without the next generation of grounds staff and volunteers.

The leading not-for-profit membership organisation for the grounds sector is calling on the nation to celebrate the vital contribution of grounds staff, and urging young sports fans to consider the profession.

New research shows growing crisis for sport

New research shows growing crisis for sport

The foundation of physical activity

Sport relies on grounds staff and volunteers to keep the nation active. However, with 40% of the workforce now over 50, this vital sector is facing a 9% reduction in those who maintain grounds and sports surfaces in the next 5 years. This gap means approximately 5,120 pitches in the UK could be left without a grounds person, leaving 9% of kids that play weekly (around 340,000 junior players) unable to play on safe and good quality pitches without staff and volunteers to care for them.

4.3 million people work behind the scenes in sport in the UK, fulfilling vital roles such as referees, coaches, physios, grounds staff and managers, and ultimately supporting 14,000 professional sports players. However, while almost 6,000 young people must join the turf care sector as professionals in the next 5 years to fill the skills gap, most young people haven’t even considered it as a profession.

32% of young people said they wanted to work in sport in the future and 57% regularly take part in and enjoy sport, but overall, 95% of children asked didn’t know the careers available to them in their favourite sports, and a meagre 2% had considered grounds management.

When it comes to adults, in a survey of 2,000 general consumers, 72% think grounds management is vital to sport, and 23% would encourage young people to consider grounds management as a career path, but only 11% of adults would consider it for themselves. Without an attitude shift, sport in the UK will face significant and potentially permanent challenges, despite it currently contributing £39 billion to the economy each year.

Volunteers are the backbone of enabling play; they make up 56% of the grounds management sector and overall contribute a value of over £120 million. Over 37,000 grounds volunteers in England offer their time to ensure sport at grassroots level can go ahead, supporting the 3.8 million children who would ordinarily play weekly. Despite this, only 9% of children and 15% of adults would currently consider volunteering as a grounds person in the future. Encouraging volunteers of all ages is even more important now; two thirds of community grounds volunteer are over 60, and are therefore more vulnerable to Covid-19.

Geoff Webb, CEO of the GMA, commented:

“We know how vital the turf care sector is to sport, but it’s often misunderstood and undervalued. This #GroundsWeek, we want everyone – whether you’re in the sector, a player, or just enjoy watching – to take the time to think about what grounds staff and volunteers do to make sport possible. Great surfaces don’t happen without them.

“Come rain or shine, they’re out there ensuring that your matches can go ahead – and by becoming a groundsperson, you can be a part of something amazing, and help make sport happen across the world. Let’s celebrate their contribution to sport, give the industry the respect it deserves, and ensure that a new generation know that grounds management makes sport and physical activity possible.”

Zeynu Bedru, apprentice at Harrogate RFU, said:

“I love my job. I came here as a refugee from Eritrea, and at first I didn’t know what I was going to do. I entered the grounds sector as a volunteer, and was lucky enough to be taken on at Harrogate RFU as an apprentice. I would encourage anyone and everyone to consider becoming a grounds professional; you could get a job anywhere – including travelling abroad – and it’s amazing to be able to work outside every day with such a great team.

“GroundsWeek is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the amazing work we do, and show young people what a career in grounds management can offer.”

Wes Matthews, a volunteer at Cranfield United, said:

“It’s great to see GroundsWeek being launched and to have people across all sports celebrating what we do. Getting the pitch ready for game day is so important, and incredibly rewarding – I actually gave up coaching and managing a team to focus on volunteering as a groundsperson! It’s very satisfying watching the teams play on a surface I’ve helped prepare, and knowing I’ve been a part of making sure the game can go ahead.

“I’d love for everyone to get involved with the week by sharing the #GroundsWeek hashtag on social media, thanking their local grounds person, or even volunteering at their local grounds. Grounds management is a great way to stay active and meet new people, both in your local community, and in the grounds management community.”

To help spread the word, the GMA has developed a toolkit for clubs, teams and organisations to engage with, including social media templates, graphics and imagery. It also includes top tips for looking after your local pitches, and tips for ensuring your club or team is doing enough to celebrate local grounds volunteers and staff.

For further information about #GroundsWeek visit: www.thegma.org.uk/groundsweek

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KAR’s successful launch for Hunter TTS rotors

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KAR’s successful launch for Hunter TTS rotors: Last year, KAR UK launched the new Hunter TTS-800 rotors and, in that time, they have become one of the most sought-after irrigation products in sportsturf. Sales Manager Mike McDonnell reveals the reasons why.

“Greenkeepers, Course Managers, Grounds persons, Stadium Mangers and Sports Turf Managers in general have a very difficult job when it comes to irrigation management,” said Mike. “Playability can directly impact revenue and so effective irrigation is critical at all times.

KAR's successful launch for Hunter TTS rotors

KAR’s successful launch for Hunter TTS rotors

Harsh environments and dirty water can make matters even more complicated but with heavy duty, highly efficient easy to service TTS rotors – Turf Managers can push past such obstacles to ensure beautiful, playable pitches and courses for years to come.

“We have been delighted to see such interest in the TTS-800 series in the past year.”

As Mike says, the TTS-800 series are now relied upon at some of the most prestigious sporting venues in the UK and beyond. They integrate advanced technology with unrivalled power, reliability, and performance to simplify irrigation management and cultivate impeccable playing surfaces in every application.

TTS-800 rotors combine the field-proven benefits of Hunters’ robust, highly efficient G-80 and G-85 gear drives with an all-new Total-Top-Service body, inlet valve, and control mechanism to ensure unmatched ease of installation and serviceability.

“These really are the most reliable and powerful rotors in the industry,” continued Mike. “Our customers have been quick to praise Hunter’s patented TTS (Total-Top-Service) technology which allows for every serviceable element of the rotor to be accessed through the top.

KAR's successful launch for Hunter TTS rotors

KAR’s successful launch for Hunter TTS rotors

Mechanical and electrical, big and small, operators can get to every component without disturbing the playing surface.

“This means there’s no more digging, no more unsightly scars, and perhaps more importantly, it is one less item on a busy turf manager’s schedule.”

Other benefits of the TTS series include:

  • Exclusive pressure port nozzle technology which maximizes distribution uniformity for healthy, playable turf in any setting.
  • The high-torque gear drive is the strongest in the industry to mitigate the challenges of reclaimed water and debris infiltration.
  • The TTS-800 Series are available in four models to ensure optimised performance in a range of applications.
  • A threaded inlet which sets the industry standard with heavy duty impact-resistant construction.
  • Three ports of entry are available – to allow for fast, organised, and easy wire management during installation.
  • The regulator is adjustable when installed or removed, allowing for easy fine-tuning of settings for optimal performance.
  • The on-off/auto-selector is colour coded with a visual indicator which makes it easy to identify when the rotor is in the manual off position.
  • A stage two filter protection helps prevent rotor weeping.
  • The powerful patented planetary gear drive powers through even the harshest conditions.
  • A range of nozzle packages are available with flows from 33.71 litres per minute at a radius of 11.3m to 225.6 litres per minute at a radius of 29.5m
  • Speciality low angle nozzles are also available to accommodate high-wind environments and other specific needs.

“A lot of research has been carried out over the years and it is not a surprise to see that Hunter systems offer 17% savings in water usage over the competition on average,” said Mike. “At KAR we are proud to distribute and work with such a leading brand.

“In particular, the TTS-800 rotors are built to maximise convenience and minimise waste. We are hoping for another successful year with these popular and powerful rotors.”

For more information, please visit www.karuk.com

You can also follow KAR UK on Twitter @KARUK_LTD for much more news, reviews and insightful views

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Golf greenkeepers ask for support

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Golf greenkeepers ask for support: BIGGA has welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement regarding the timetable for the reopening of golf.

As the members’ association for golf greenkeepers in the UK, BIGGA is acutely aware that golfers are eager to get back out on the course and start enjoying the limitless physical and mental health benefits of our wonderful sport.

Golf greenkeepers ask for support

Golf greenkeepers ask for support

However, as golfers have found in Scotland, where courses have remained open for limited play, this has been an incredibly wet and difficult winter and many greenkeepers have reported being able to do very limited maintenance throughout the colder months.

As such, while disappointed that the restart of golf will not be until 29 March in England, BIGGA welcomes the notice period as it will enable golf facilities to complete any essential winter maintenance and prepare the course for play to a standard that will not be detrimental to the long-term health of the facility.

Over the coming weeks BIGGA will be working alongside the governing bodies in golf to provide information regarding reasonable expectations of course presentation, so that returning golfers are aware of the challenges greenkeepers have faced with regards climate, staffing and COVID-19 restrictions and to ensure a safe, happy and prosperous return to golf for everyone.

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Entries open for 45th BALI awards

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Entries open for 45th BALI awards: The British Association of Landscape Industries’ (BALI) prestigious National Landscape Awards, the largest of their kind anywhere in Europe, return on Friday 3rd December 2021 and entries have now opened alongside several exciting new announcements for the 45th year.

Registered members can now submit their full entry online for the first time, (including their submission pack) thanks to a new entry system, alongside the returning postal option. Due to the effects of COVID-19, Contractor, Designer and International members, for 2021 only, now also have the opportunity to submit a scheme that has achieved practical completion in the last 24 months, instead of the normal 12 months.

Entries open for 45th BALI awards

Entries open for 45th BALI awards

BALI’s Chief Executive Wayne Grills commented, “This extension to the practical completion date now affords members more flexibility in what has been a difficult last 12 months. Alongside the option to submit online, we hope to see a wide variety of entries across all of our available categories this year.”

There are 33 categories in total, including a brand-new Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Enhancement category. The judges will be looking for projects that demonstrate a significant contribution to conservation or enhancement of biodiversity, embodying the principles of sustainable development using innovative concepts.

Chair of the judging panel, John Melmoe, said, “We are delighted to introduce this new category for 2021. We will be looking for evidence of any biodiversity net gains and clear definitions of innovation or environmental designs. The long-term management strategy must be clearly defined, including proof of monitoring processes. On behalf of my fellow judges and I we look forward to seeing some truly remarkable projects in this category.”

Other returning categories include Domestic Garden Construction, Hard Landscaping Construction (non-domestic), Community and Schools Development, Design Excellence and Affiliate Exceptional Service. Registered members can check out all of this year’s categories on the BALI Awards website here.

Alongside an FAQs section, the team at Landscape House have also produced an Entry Guidelines document, which contains information on each category, the deadlines and fees and what the judges are looking for in an award-winning scheme or entry.

To help further, members looking to enter are invited to join representatives of the judging panel for a free-to-attend Awards Workshop webinar on 25th March from 3pm-4.30pm. The event will provide an opportunity for members to ask questions about entering, as well as how the judges evaluate and score the submission packs and advice on photography and video. Non-members who are interested in entering and would like to know more about BALI are also welcome to join.

Events Project Manager Emily Feeney said, “Today we have not only opened entries but also announced three new positive changes to this year’s Awards which continues to be the ultimate celebration in our industry. We are working with Headline Sponsor Green-tech, our host venue the J W Marriott Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London and event partners and sponsors to stage a safe end of year celebration, and we look forward to sharing more with you in the coming months.”

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Smart move for T H WHITE Groundcare

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Smart move for T H WHITE Groundcare: T H WHITE’s Groundcare Division is changing the way it serves its customers in the Reading and Berkshire area in order to deliver even higher levels of service and support.

The company’s existing branch at Arborfield had reached the stage where it would have required significant investment to maintain and develop the quality of service offering customers have come to expect from

Smart move for T H WHITE Groundcare

Smart move for T H WHITE Groundcare

T H WHITE. So, rather than commit resources to a leased site, the decision was made to concentrate investment at the freehold site in Stockbridge. In December 2020 work was started on a new 3,500 sq ft facility at Stockbridge where the majority of T H WHITE’s Arborfield staff will be relocated by the end of March.

This change is part of a strategy in which the company’s Groundcare Division is being integrated with our Agricultural Division to deliver greater efficiencies and customer benefits. T H WHITE’s investment in property, people and processes is being made to assist ground care businesses as the sector adapts the way working practices to achieve the best outcomes in these challenging times.

Key parts of the Stockbridge development are a modern, fully equipped workshop and state-of-the-art parts facility. T H WHITE’s Reading area representatives will continue to be based and operate locally to ensure continuity and Reading customers will continue to be able to access all T H WHITE services with a phone call. When machinery needs servicing, it will be collected and delivered back to customers.

By making this change T H WHITE plans to enhance its 21st century service standards, also securing a firm basis for future developments.

T H WHITE Groundcare’s Reading branch will be fully relocated at Stockbridge from 1 March 2021. From that date contact details will be: T H WHITE Groundcare, Windyridge, Salisbury Road, Houghton Down, Stockbridge, Hants SO20 6JR.

Tel 01264 811260

Sales: Rob Iddeson 07909 895502, Mark Carter 07917 172861, Mark Zealander 07876 396635

Service Manager: Andrew Hannington   01264 811260.   Parts Manager: Kim Larke 01264 811260

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

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