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Schools Into Stadia Heads to Home Of Cricket

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Schools Into Stadia Heads to Home Of Cricket: The Grounds Management Association’s (GMA) NextGen group is taking its inspiring Schools Into Stadia initiative to new turf, literally for the first time, as it heads to the legendary Lord’s Cricket Ground on Friday 27 June for its first ever cricket edition.

Designed to inspire a younger generation of groundspeople, Schools Into Stadia opens the doors to iconic sporting venues, offering local students a rare behind-the-scenes look at the world of grounds management, showing off the wide range of career opportunities in a sector that supports sport, recreation and community spaces across the UK.

Schools Into Stadia Heads to Home Of Cricket

Schools Into Stadia Heads to Home Of Cricket

From pitch prep to turf science, students will get hands-on with the skills and technology that keep the game running smoothly.

Created by the GMA’s passionate NextGen group – rising stars in the industry – Schools Into Stadia is all about sparking curiosity and showcasing the exciting career paths in grounds management. With support from Reesink UK, the initiative is building a future-ready workforce by championing the vital role of grounds teams in sport, recreation and community life.

Having already inspired students at venues like Wimbledon’s All-England Club, Anfield Stadium, Goodison Park and the King Power Stadium, the programme now steps up to the crease at Lord’s – cricket’s most hallowed ground.

The event will see local students experience the day-to-day responsibilities of a groundsperson including pitch preparation and understanding the science behind turf care. They’ll also hear first-hand from professionals about the pathways into the industry and how their work impacts everything from elite sport to grassroots facilities.

With workforce development a growing priority across the sector, initiatives like Schools Into Stadia are a vital part of the GMA’s strategy to engage the next generation and build a sustainable pipeline of talent.

Meg Lay, GMA NextGen Co-Chair and Groundsperson at Lord’s, said: “We’re excited to bring Schools Into Stadia to Lord’s and shine a light on the work that grounds staff do in cricket. Events like this give young people a real glimpse into the industry and help us show that this is a rewarding, hands-on career. If we want a thriving industry in the future, it starts with inspiring the next generation today.”

Lord’s Head Groundsman, Karl McDermott, said: “We’re proud to support the GMA and the NextGen group in delivering this event at Lord’s. Grounds staff play a vital role in making sport possible at every level, and we’re pleased to give students a chance to see that in action at the Home of Cricket. We hope it opens eyes and perhaps even sparks some future careers in the industry.”

To find out more about the GMA NextGen group and how they’re shaping the future of the industry, visit www.thegma.org.uk/nextgen.

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New home builders overlooking the value of quality lawns

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New home builders overlooking the value of quality lawns: For many years, home builders haven’t appreciated the value of good quality lawns, not only for the benefits that a lawn brings to the environment & personal well-being, but also the impact that a nice lawn has on the kerb appeal and saleability of a new home.

Most new homes are sold with a newly turfed lawn, but as the demand for affordable housing increases, and development land is at an all-time premium, lawns are shrinking! Analysis in 2023 estimated the average English garden space to be 255m2. New build homes are required to provide a minimum of 30m2 of amenity space, and thankfully, most garden areas are bigger, but the Turfgrass Growers Association estimates that the average size of a new-build lawn is just 55m2.

New home builders overlooking the value of quality lawns

New home builders overlooking the value of quality lawns

In addition to the shrinking size of new lawns, homebuilders are squeezing budgets so much, that landscapers are forced to do minimal preparation on, what are often small, enclosed garden plots, with poor drainage and reduced light from high fences. The low landscaping budget forces landscapers to use the cheapest turf available, often a “contractors’ grade”, rather than a good quality premium turf, from a reputable, accredited supplier.

Using a lower grade of turf, combined with poor ground conditions, and minimal preparation is inevitably going to result in a substandard lawn, and this common practice is putting people off natural grass, and all its benefits!

Regretfully, it is common for Landscape Architects to unwittingly, specify turf containing plastic net and for some landscapers to consciously chose it as a way of cheapening cost. The Turf Grass
Growers Association which represents most of the turf grown in the UK, has actively moved to ban plastic net by October 2026, and in the meantime, any turf containing plastic net will not meet the TGA specification. The industry should remain vigilant against the prospect of gardens being contaminated with unnecessary plastic. Natural turf has good ‘green’ credentials that should be promoted when considering the use of alternatives such as hard landscaping and in particular artificial grass.

Artificial turf is quickly going out of favour as the public become more environmentally aware. However, there are lots of other lawn alternatives being used because homeowners are frustrated with poor quality lawns. If a lawn is created with good quality turf, grown to the TGA standards, laid on a well-prepared bed of free draining topsoil, there are huge benefits to a natural lawn, including carbon sequestration, oxygen production, flood reduction and air cooling as well as the positive impacts on mental health and well-being for homeowners and their pets.

Increasing the lawn budget by £100-£150 for the typical 55m2 lawn could ensure that premium turf can be used, and that landscapers have the budget to complete the ground preparation to a good standard. The average price of a new home in the UK is reportedly £422,000, and even if that figure is skewered by some high-end homes, and premium locations, there should be enough in a developer’s margin to cover the additional cost. Even if the developer won’t pay, at least offer the new homeowner the option of a premium quality job at a fair additional cost.

Developers should also be ensuring groundworkers save the very best soil on site, to be reintroduced into gardens, and that soil is not contaminated with subsoil when excavated. There should be no excuse for bricks, tiles and other building materials to contaminate gardens. What’s the point in thorough site contamination investigations if tradesman contaminate the soil during the building process.

Of course, there will be many new home builders, landscape architects, groundworkers and tradesman that take all the right steps to ensure the best possible lawns, but it’s about time that the value of a good quality lawn was appreciated throughout the industry.

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INFINICUT® mowers enter Home Park two by two

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INFINICUT® mowers enter Home Park two by two: A recent upgrade to the mower fleet at Plymouth Argyle Football Club has seen the delivery of two INFINICUT® 34” FX cylinders and two SM34 rotary mowers to the club’s stadium pitch at Home Park.

Together with outstanding quality of cut and first-class presentation, Head Groundsman Chris Ralph also cites the improvements in consistency achieved with their mowing operations thanks to the industry-leading INFINIApp™.

INFINICUT® mowers enter Home Park two by two

INFINICUT® mowers enter Home Park two by two

The investment has been on the cards for the last 18 months, which gave Chris and his team of five ample time to compare and contrast the options available. “We’d been using two INFINICUT® fixed head cylinders and were always happy with those – they’re reliable and comfortable to use, with minimal noise and vibrations. We found nothing that could better those” he explains. “On the rotary front, we demonstrated various models and were impressed with the performance and finish of the SM34’s, the ease of height adjustment compared to competitor machines and the side placement of the grass bucket which means it’s not hitting your legs all the time!”

With the decision made, the fleet was delivered by Andy White and Paul Curgenven of Shinners Bridge Garden Machinery and INFINICUT’s Mark Clifford-Kennedy in February 2024. “Andy, Paul and Mark left no stone unturned when they dropped the machines off. They went through every detail of the machines, guided us through set-up and demonstrated the full functionality of the INFINIApp™.” Chris continues, “The Bluetooth control is a great feature. We can quickly and easily set reel speed, clip rates and more, and share settings between machines to give us greater consistency than we’ve ever achieved before.”

In addition to the cylinder and rotary mowers, the club also purchased a pair of ThatchMasterTM cassettes from the TMSystem™. “I’ve been looking at these for a while! Our ProPitch reports were identifying an increase in thatch levels over the last 12 months and our only way of trying to combat that previously was with a tractor and rake. We equipped our 34” machines with the ThatchMasterTM cassettes for a first pass in mid-March and the results were outstanding! We each removed three or four boxes of unwanted organic matter, and the pitch looked healthier immediately.”

“The whole team have been really impressed, with not just the INFINICUT® machines themselves but the support and service we’ve had from Shinners Bridge along the way. We’re now well placed to further drive up the standards of our stadium pitch, along with our neighbouring first-team training surfaces too.”

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New home for Boss ORV

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New home for Boss ORV: BOSS ORV, the sole UK distributor of Corvus Off-Road Vehicles, has moved into new headquarters. The move is another major landmark for BOSS, which started trading in 2019 importing the Corvus Terrain 4×4 side-by-side utility vehicles, the first to be manufactured from the ground up in Europe.

“We have had three years of extraordinary growth,” says Phil Everett, the BOSS ORV Managing Director. “We have managed to outgrow our existing facilities in half the time we expected. The opening of new offices in Staffordshire puts us right at the heart of the UK and central to all the major road networks. All our dealer support functions will be based here, including a brand-new stores facility which allows us to stock a much larger quantity and diversity of spare parts and accessories.” Phil attributes the exceptional expansion of the business to the rapid acceptance of the Corvus Terrain vehicles by both dealers and users as a major contender across a wide range of markets.

New home for Boss ORV

New home for Boss ORV

“The Corvus dealer network has grown substantially to meet the needs of users in agriculture, groundscare, construction, amenities and private estates to name but a few,” says Phil. “The Corvus brand stands for quality, innovation and sound ecological principles which have been well-received by everyone,” he adds. The Terrain range comprises diesel, petrol (launches summer 23) and the electric version introduced at the end of 2022 and available spring 23.

For more information about the Corvus Terrain range, you can call 01597 810188

E-mail: sales@bossorv.co.uk  

Web: www.bossorv.co.uk

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SAGE named the home event for GRASS

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SAGE named the home event for GRASS: SAGE are proud to announce that they have become the home event for GRASS, a newly launched forum built by a Group of Groundcare Industry Specialists. Taking place 6th and 7th July SAGE will provide a platform for GRASS to introduce it’s objectives to the industry this summer.

GRASS stands for, Groundcare Resources & Sustainability Suppliers, and is the innovative idea of Mark Tomlinson head of environmental and sustainability stadia projects at Bio-Circle, one of the leading companies paving the way in sustainable solutions for the industry.The NEW Networking & Support Forum is a FREE to join group that supports all Groundcare and other sporting industry sustainability projects, providing free advice and knowledge of sustainable pitch care.

SAGE named the home event for GRASS

SAGE named the home event for GRASS

Top Grounds Personnel, Leading Industry Manufacturers and Senior Experts have come together to form a “Go To Group” that allows grounds staff to begin their own sustainability projects with support and advise.

Through the expert sustainable and environmental forum, GRASS will provide the latest information available all under one roof, whether it’s technical pitchcare maintenance, through to recycling washdown, white line marking paint, recycling containers, battery powered equipment, seed, lighting, our information bank is endless.

“A First for the Groundcare & Sporting Industry, and a much-needed Support Forum Group. By coming together and sharing knowledge GRASS can help and support Groundcare personnel with their sustainability projects. We want to help and protect our environment and make a difference.”

Mark Tomlinson

Focus on sustainability

This year, sustainability has become an even more prominent priority across all industries and SAGE is proud to be hosting the first sustainability summit, which will take place on Wednesday 6th July at SAGE 2022, in partnership with Bio-Circle.

The summit will be led by experts across the industry and will provide guidance and support on how sustainable solutions can be achieved by businesses across the sports and grounds maintenance industry. The panel and their colleagues will be on hand to deliver tailored options for those looking to adopt processes that are more environmentally friendly.

Everyone is welcome to attend SAGE 2022. Visitors from last year included educational institutions, local authorities and councils, contractors, construction managers and private estates.

The team at SAGE invites all visitors to stay for the networking event on the Wednesday evening, 4pm – 6pm, sponsored by Fleet Line Markers, where everyone will get the opportunity to meet fellow industry professionals at the stunning showground, with a few added bonus’ as well.

To register for SAGE 2022. Please visit; www.sportsandgrounds.events.

If you would like to exhibit at SAGE 2022, there is still time to reserve your stand, contact us today; team@sportsandgrounds.co.uk

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