Tag Archive for: Help

Green-tech Help Transform Basildon’s Green Spaces

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Green-tech Help Transform Basildon’s Green Spaces: Basildon Borough Council has undertaken an impressive initiative to establish vibrant, impactful wildflower meadows across the borough. This ambitious project started in 2023 and remains ongoing.

The council wanted to improve public spaces by enhancing their visual appeal, creating new local habitats, and increasing biodiversity. These areas needed to support a wide range of species, particularly pollinators such as bees and butterflies. The council also wanted to improve soil health and reduce reliance on chemical treatments.

Green-tech Help Transform Basildon’s Green Spaces

Green-tech Help Transform Basildon’s Green Spaces

The council wants to create wildflower meadows in their country parks, urban parks, and new local nature reserves. It also wanted to enhance the area’s visual appeal with stunning floral displays in flower beds and roundabouts, enabling residents to appreciate its beauty and encouraging community engagement.

They wanted to replace traditional annual planting schemes with sustainable wildflower areas to reduce maintenance costs. Wildflower areas are cost-effective, requiring only annual mowing and eliminating the need for annual replanting, which was a priority for the budget-conscious council, enabling their resources to be utilised elsewhere.

The Project

Green-tech advised and supplied their market-leading John Chambers Wildflower Seeds. Known for high-quality seed mixes tailored to diverse landscapes, the John Chambers range supports large-scale biodiversity projects with seeds that contribute to long-term habitat creation and ecological enhancement.

Recognising the importance of sustainable urban greening, Basildon Borough Council integrated these wildflower meadows into parks, roundabouts, and other green spaces across the region, ensuring they deliver environmental and community benefits.

The initiative covers multiple locations, including:

  • Creation of a native wildflower meadow at Beauchamps Meadow Local Nature Reserve.
  • Planting 100% native wildflowers on roundabouts across the borough, replacing the annual seed mix the team used to sow.
  • Using the John Chambers Impact seed mix, a mix of native and non-native species in Bee Sand planters in formal parks.
  • Wildflower meadow creation in town parks using a 100% wildflower seed mix.
  • Creating wildflower meadows in amenity parks to establish small nature zones for wildlife.
  • New 1-hectare meadows created at Northlands Town Park, Victoria Town Park, and Wick Country Park.

For their meadow creation, Basildon Borough Council’s Parks and Countryside team sow wildflower seeds in the autumn, typically around September or October, allowing them to germinate in the spring, with flowers beginning to bloom from June onwards. They also sow 100% flower species mixes in the spring for flowers to appear by June. To achieve this, the team prepares the sites by lightly cultivating the top inch of soil to create a suitable seedbed, avoiding chemical treatments to eliminate existing vegetation. Seeds are then sown directly into the ground by hand or using a seed drill, a method that has proven successful once the meadow has established itself. An annual cut and collect process ensures that the wildflowers outcompete the original rank grasses.

Products Used

Green-tech supplied:

  • John Chambers 100% Pro Clay Soils and Pro Cornfield Annuals mix – a diverse selection of UK-native wildflowers to support pollinators and enhance biodiversity.
  • John Chambers Impact Wildflower Seed Mix – a vibrant mix of native and non-native species designed for high visual impact and extended flowering periods.
  • John Chambers Impact Pollinators Wildflower Mix – specifically formulated to provide a nectar-rich habitat for pollinators in urban environments.

The Outcome

The wildflower meadows have flourished, delivering a range of ecological and community benefits which include:

  • Enhanced biodiversity – significant increases in pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
  • Sustainable landscaping – reduced reliance on chemical treatments and lower maintenance requirements.
  • Community engagement –local residents have embraced the wildflower areas, with overwhelmingly positive feedback.
  • Aesthetic improvement – vibrant floral displays have transformed urban parks, roundabouts, and green spaces.

The wildflower areas are maintained through an annual cut-and-collect process, which helps maintain the balance between wildflowers and grasses, ensuring long-term sustainability.

The council has already noticed a significant increase in pollinator presence, with bees frequently observed feeding on the flowers. This biodiversity boost highlights these areas’ positive impact on local wildlife. Community feedback has been overwhelmingly positive to all wildflower areas across all settings, with many people appreciating the beauty and ecological benefits they bring to the community.

The council intends to expand this initiative by replacing traditional annual plantings with native wildflower seeds wherever possible. In more formal town parks and public spaces, annual planters will still be used to maintain seasonal visual appeal.

“Working on the wildflower projects has been incredibly rewarding. The positive impact on local biodiversity is clear, with a noticeable increase in pollinators and other wildlife thriving in these areas. Not only do these projects enhance the beauty of our public spaces, but they also offer long-term ecological benefits with minimal maintenance. We’ve had a fantastic experience working with Green-tech – they’ve made the process easy, and their support and knowledge have been invaluable. We are proud to lead an initiative that supports both nature and the local community.” Josh Childs, Parks and Countryside Biodiversity Officer at Basildon Borough Council.

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OAS Help Colmworth Achieve Environmental Excellence

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OAS Help Colmworth Achieve Environmental Excellence: Colmworth is a golf club with a difference. Nestled in the tranquil countryside of north Bedfordshire, this inclusive and forward-thinking country estate stands as a beacon of sustainable excellence experience with its forward-thinking approach.

Under the stewardship of mother-daughter duo Julie and Tilly Vesely, this family-run golf course, retreat, and wedding venue has embraced and nurtured an organic approach to golf course maintenance with an unwavering commitment to environmental responsibility. Colmworth is a haven for the eco-conscious golfer.

OAS Help Colmworth Achieve Environmental Excellence

OAS Help Colmworth Achieve Environmental Excellence

Sporting an all-female management team, a rarity in this industry, they pride themselves on redefining the norm with an ethical and environmentally sensitive ethos that guides everything they offer at Colmworth.

Designed by John Glasgow in 1994 the 18-hole, Par 72 course boasts a peaceful, rural setting with a mix of raised tees with stunning views and some challenging water hazards on 4 holes including the signature 12th hole.

Proudly inclusive and forward-thinking, Tilly explains, “Colmworth is the people and planet friendly place to enjoy relaxed golf, great food, celebrate or holiday. Our focus is to be environmentally friendly; it is an ethos that has run through the business from the beginning. We do things differently here; we want to be known for being a friendly, affordable and inclusive venue, as well as a destination and club that focuses on sustainability.”

A key part of this strategy is the clubs’ organic approach to managing the golf course, choosing non-chemical options at every opportunity by utilising biological products from Origin Amenity Solutions. Over a decade ago, the club trialled biological products on the par 3 644-yard-long pitch & putt course; the improvements spoke for themselves with “brilliant results” explains Tilly.  “This led to a fully organic programme being developed for the main 18-hole course and has provided firm, receptive, and disease-resistant surfaces ever since.”

Bradley Jones, Head Greenkeeper, runs a small but effective team delivering the organic strategy by working closely with Julie and Tilly. He adds, “Our golf course is carefully nurtured by organic products. It is best known for playing exceptionally well throughout the winter and following extreme weather conditions.  Despite the British weather, we’ve never had to use winter greens, and we are proud of our excellent drainage, which enables our course to remain open year-round. We are passionate about protecting our planet and utilise organic products on the course.  For over 10 years, we have used biological products from the OAS group and brewed their Symbio microbial ‘compost teas’ to feed and maintain the turf which has also made our greens very strong and resistant to disease.”

Colmworth Golf Club has a programme from OAS compiled in consultation with Brad to

promote soil biology and enhance microbial products. It includes a granular microbial thatch degrading product, OAS Thatcheater. Supporting this are microbial compost teas, fungal and bacterial additives, liquid aeration, and microbial-enhancing bio-stimulants.

In addition to the club’s ‘green greens’ programme, Colmworth’s approach to water management has been said to be ahead of its time. The basis of the drainage system is to gather rainfall collected over the course and direct it through drainage into holding lakes to be used as the water source for the irrigation system. Tilly adds, “We have excellent drainage, which all feeds into the lake on the 12th hole. This then acts as a reservoir for the summer months to keep the greens watered, playable, and healthy.”

Innovative practices such as organic turf management, water conservation, and community engagement have secured the club two prestigious accolades. In the governing body’s centenary year, Colmworth Golf Club won the England Golf Sustainability Project of the Year 2024.

They also emerged as winners at The Golf Environment Awards, held at BTME 2024, being crowned the UK Environment Golf Club of the Year. These awards are for golf clubs in the UK that are leading the way in sustainability across nature conservation, turfgrass management, and waste and water management.

Tilly adds, “Colmworth Golf Club not only exemplifies sporting prowess but also serves as a testament to the power of conscientious stewardship in preserving our planet’s natural beauty. We are passionate about protecting our planet and the awards show that you don’t have to be a huge golf course with a big budget to make the right decisions for the environment.  From installing solar and utilising renewable energy to implementing organic turf care, recycling and re-purposing wherever possible, and supporting local – there is so much we can do, and there is so much more we want to do! I would like to collaborate with like-minded businesses to host corporate days where they can invite their customers to a venue and play on a golf course that showcases that sustainability and the environment matter.”

Colmworth Golf Club focuses on revolutionising the golfing experience with its sustainable ethos. Through organic turf care and water conservation, they’ve garnered acclaim and their approach not only enhances the game but underscores the vital role golf courses can play in environmental preservation.

For advice and assistance on using biological products as part of your turf management programme, contact Origin Amenity Solutions on 0800 138 7222 or visit www.originamenity.com

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Verti-Quake and Verti-Drain combo help Wrekin GC

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Verti-Quake and Verti-Drain combo help Wrekin GC: Like many, the team at Wrekin Golf Club have recorded extraordinary levels of rainfall over the winter of 2023/24. And yet, Course Manager Gary Turner explains that they’ve emerged with free-draining fairways, which he attributes to a single pass with their Redexim Verti-Quake. The timely purchase in the autumn has now been followed up by the delivery of a Redexim Verti-Drain 1517 to further improve aeration results and enhance drainage in other areas of the course.

Nestled at the base of the Wrekin and surrounded by both natural woodland and picturesque views, Gary is now into his 20th year at the Telford club. A lack of available resources has meant that no aeration has been conducted on the fairways for the last three or four years, which is why the delivery of the Verti-Quake 2516 by Charlies Ag & Turf in September 2023, has been hailed a ‘godsend!’

Verti-Quake and Verti-Drain combo help Wrekin GC

Verti-Quake and Verti-Drain combo help Wrekin GC

“They had begun to lay wet so we knew it would take something robust to break through those years of compaction. The budget we had at the time allowed us to purchase the 2516, which went out on the fairways almost as soon as it came through the gates and the results were astounding! We created channels at depths of 4” and transformed the fairways into the driest part of the course with just one pass.”

“The plan will be to utilise this during renovation weeks in March and September and complement the linear aeration with monthly passes of our new Verti-Drain 1517 on the fairways, as well as the greens and tees.”

The 1517 from the award-winning Redexim range offers a lightweight aeration solution with a 1.7m working width and 6” working depth – a combination that makes it a popular choice for sensitive turf areas. It’s larger size and faster operating speed compared to Gary’s previous aerator presents more effective results, in less time.

“Matt Lewis from Charlie’s delivered the Verti-Drain at the start of March and, as soon as it was dry enough, we passed over all 18 greens with 12mm solid tines, in three and a half hours less than the task previously took. A few weeks on and we can still see the holes.” Gary adds, “We plan to follow the monthly verti-draining with applications of dressing, which will bring multiple benefits to the profile and help us manage the challenges posed by mother nature!”

He concludes, “The service we’ve had from Matt and the Charlie’s team has been excellent at every stage and the machines have already proven to be the best, and most timely, purchases we’ve ever made.”

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Green-tech help to reduce the risk of flooding in Leeds City

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Green-tech help to reduce the risk of flooding in Leeds City: Leeds City Council is working with the Environment Agency on their Flood Alleviation Scheme Phase 2 (FAS2) to reduce the risk of flooding of a 14km stretch between Leeds Train Station and Apperley Bridge.

The project is designed to protect 1,048 homes and 474 businesses through a combination of traditional engineering methods and natural flood management. Due for completion in Spring 2024, it is expected that the flood risk will be reduced to a 0.5% probability of occurring in any given year (a 1-in-200-year level of flood protection).

Green-tech help to reduce the risk of flooding in Leeds City

Green-tech help to reduce the risk of flooding in Leeds City

BAM Nuttall is a construction and civil engineering company that delivers key pieces of infrastructure across the UK, from railways to wind farms. They use digital engineering and a net zero carbon approach, placing sustainability at their core.

Part of the scheme included work on the bank of the river Aire upstream of Kirkstall Bridge using an earth embankment or steel sheet piled flood walls in some areas. The embankment will tie into flood walls, that will extend up to the existing Kirkstall Bridge. This section of railway line connects Leeds with Shipley and Bradford and has flooded several times in the past, and currently remains at risk.

Alongside the embankment and flood walls, 2.4 hectares of landscape and ecological enhancements are being implemented in Kirkstall Meadows. This work includes the creation of wetland scrapes and various interventions to support local wildlife.

The project was subject to planning conditions that required reinstatement or protection of vegetated features along the riverbank where the construction of hard flood defences would otherwise have compromised the permanent river-side ecology.

Sub-agent Jim Mitchell, comments, “Green-tech was chosen as the products they offered were designed exactly for this purpose. They were able to supply products that complied with the project specification and offered expert advice on alternative solutions that improved buildability and function’.

For this part of the project, Green-tech supplied 45 pre-established Coir Edge Sods which comprise 5 different aquatic plant species mixes. This unique system incorporates pre-established vegetation within the face of stone-filled gabions which is an integral part of the erosion control solution for a water’s edge, even where the projects require hard engineering solutions. This innovative, green erosion control system helps when the stability of engineering with gabions is combined with the benefits of immediate vegetation to provide rapid environmental and ecological regeneration.

20 gt Coir Log Rolls were supplied. These are cost-effective and an excellent technique for establishing marginal vegetation around lake edges, streams, and river banks. Compressed coir fibre encased in woven polyethylene or coir netting, gt Coir Log Rolls can be supplied pre-established with UK native species or unplanted.

These were accompanied by 20 gt Rock Rolls – designed to help reduce and prevent long-term erosion and allow for the ground to stay stabilised. Commonly used around watercourse shorelines, high-flow riverbanks, and streams, gt Rock Rolls are UV-stabilised polypropylene mesh filled with gabion stones. They are ideal for creating a solid foundation for installing pre-vegetated coir products – the roots of the emergent plants grow into the voids of the rock rolls, giving long-term erosion control and bank support. Gt Rock Rolls installed below coir units can also be used to support a filter fabric or biodegradable matting.

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Volunteers help get Wembley pitch match fit

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Volunteers help get Wembley pitch match fit: Two volunteer groundskeepers were given the experience of a lifetime by helping prepare the world-famous Wembley pitch ahead of the Lionesses’ game against the Netherlands.

The Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation ran a competition as part of the Get Your Pitch Match Fit campaign that celebrates the importance of grass pitches and the groundskeepers who maintain them for the grassroots game.

Volunteers help get Wembley pitch match fit

Volunteers help get Wembley pitch match fit

Trevor Chenery and Tony Hesketh are volunteer groundskeepers at Halesworth Town Juniors FC in Suffolk and Acton Ealing Whistlers AFC in West London respectively. Between them, the Clubs have received over £129k in grant funding from the Foundation to get their pitches looking and playing their best.

Wembley Stadium’s Grounds Manager, Karl Standley, was on hand to offer expert advice, show them what’s involved in getting the hallowed turf match ready and help them put the finishing touches on England’s most prestigious pitch.

Trevor said: “Every football fan dreams of stepping out onto the Wembley pitch, so to be able to do that has been a dream come true.

“Groundskeeping is a real labour of love and today I’ve seen that it’s exactly the same for the top groundskeepers in the country. There’s so much I’ve learnt that’ll help me take my own pitch to the next level.

“I’d like to thank the Football Foundation for all the advice and funding I have received so far by using PitchPower and of course for the incredible opportunity today.”

The pair were selected at random from users of PitchPower – the Football Foundation’s free web app for inspecting and improving grass pitches.

Through PitchPower, anyone responsible for a grass pitch can inspect their pitches and receive bespoke advice from experts at the Grounds Management Association on how to improve them. After receiving these recommendations, PitchPower users have the opportunity to apply for grants of up to £12,800 per pitch through the Foundation to put them into action.

Tony said: “Before using PitchPower, we regularly had to call off games because our pitches just couldn’t handle any form of bad weather.

“Now, not only are our fixtures able to go ahead as planned, but our players actually enjoy the games more because they get to play on quality playing surfaces. That transformation wouldn’t have been possible without PitchPower and the funding we received from the Football Foundation.

“Today has been great and I hope to take some of Karl’s advice back to our pitches at Acton Ealing Whistlers AFC to ensure all our players can enjoy their football!”

Karl Standley, Wembley Grounds Manager and Football Foundation Supporter, said: “Having a quality playing surface is vital, whether you’re playing in the World Cup final or Sunday League with your friends.

“The grassroots game couldn’t function without volunteer groundskeepers giving up their time for clubs across the country and I’m proud to help the Football Foundation shine a spotlight on the vital role they play.

“Thanks to the support of the Premier League, The FA and Government, the Foundation will be investing £21 million a year to get grass pitches across the country looking and playing their best.

“I’d encourage anyone responsible for a grass pitch to keep an eye out on the Foundation’s social channels for tips and tricks on how to maintain their grass pitches and sign up to PitchPower to start their grass pitch transformation journey.”

To help more people enjoy all the benefits of grassroots sport, the Foundation has set the target of reaching 20,000 ‘good’ quality grass pitches across the country by 2030.

For more information, head over to the Foundation’s website:

https://footballfoundation.org.uk/get-your-pitch-match-fit

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