Tag Archive for: involved

How You Can Get Involved With #GroundsWeek

/in , , /by

How You Can Get Involved With #GroundsWeek: #GroundsWeek 2025, taking place from 17 to 23 March, is fast approaching.

This nationwide celebration, led by the Grounds Management Association (GMA), shines a spotlight on the professionals and volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make sports surfaces and green spaces thrive.

How You Can Get Involved With #GroundsWeek

How You Can Get Involved With #GroundsWeek

The week is all about recognition, whilst inspiring more people to appreciate and explore careers in grounds management. Whether you’re a professional grounds manager, a volunteer or someone who enjoys well-maintained outdoor spaces, there are plenty of ways to get involved and show your support.

Building on the success of the 2024 campaign, which reached an impressive 18 million people, we hope #GroundsWeek 2025 will reach a global audience, shining a spotlight on the vital role of grounds staff not only in the UK but across the world.

Ways to take part in #GroundsWeek 2025:

  • Download the #GroundsWeek Toolkit – Access ready-made graphics, templates and ideas to help you spread the word.
  • Share Your Story – Tell us about your experiences in grounds management for a chance to be featured during the week.
  • Join the Online Conversation – Keep an eye on @wearetheGMA across all social media channels and help us kick off the week by sharing our launch post on Monday 17 March.
  • Show off Your Grounds Team – Post a photo of your grounds staff or volunteers, or share a short video of someone at your club or organisation saying thank you.
  • Use the Official Hashtag – Tag @wearetheGMA in your posts and include #GroundsWeek to ensure your content reaches a wider audience.

#GroundsWeek is an opportunity for everyone to celebrate the people who make great outdoor spaces possible.

Get involved and help raise awareness of the vital work that goes into keeping pitches, parks and green spaces in top condition.

To find out more about #GroundsWeek 2025, please visit thegma.org.uk/groundsweek.

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

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

Are you involved in amenity management?

/in , /by

Are you involved in amenity management?: The Amenity Forum is currently running its very popular series of Updating Events across the UK. One of these is to be held at Arsenal’s Football Ground on March 9th and will contain important briefing information on topical issues as well as forthcoming policy change. As well as being events to receive information, they also act as opportunities for those attending to contribute their views and influence matters.

The whole series of free events are made possible by sponsorship. The Forum is grateful to Weedfree who are core funding all the series and to individual host organisations for providing the venue and refreshments for each event. Being able to offer the London event is thanks to Belchim Amenity UK, strong supporters of the Amenity Forum and its objective of promoting best practice and high standards in amenity management.

Are you involved in amenity management?

Are you involved in amenity management?

The full programme of events two of which have already run, together with individual host organisation is provided at the end of this release. So if you are involved in, or have an interest in, the amenity sector, please contact Kate at admin@amenityforum.net to book your place. Whilst free events, you do need to book your place with Kate, in advance. On registration, you will be sent a full copy of the programme for your event and location details or sign in links for the on line ones.

In terms of weed, pest and disease management, significant policy change is afoot. With our withdrawal from the EU, new regulations are emerging regarding the approval and use of plant protection products. In addition a new UK National Action Plan is soon to be issued setting out the requirements going forward. We already know that this will have a major focus on integrated management approaches and greater enforcement and standards. Then there is the implementation of the Official Controls (Plant Protection Products) Regulations 2020 (OCR). This has already legally required all suppliers of plant protection products (PPPs) to register their locations and stock carried. From June 2022, such a legal responsibility will also apply to all users of PPPs backed up by increased inspection and enforcement.

Representatives from UK and national governments will be in attendance and thus the events provide excellent opportunity for you to express your views and thoughts direct to them.

William Weld from Belchim Amenity UK said ‘’Belchim Amenity UK are delighted to support this event as part of a series being held across the UK. These events come at an important time for the sector and it is vital that all involved are kept fully up to date’’

ENGLAND                                                              DATE                                                   HOST

Yorkshire (on line)                                          9th February                                       Green-tech        

Manchester                                                       24th February                                     ICL

Leicester                                                             25th February                                     Agrigem

London                                                                 9th March                                             Belchem Amenity UK

Throws Farm, Essex                                        17th March                                          Origin Amenity

NORTHERN IRELAND

Belfast                                                                  23rd March                                          NI Government                

SCOTLAND

Edinburgh                                                           4th March                                             Scottish Government                    

WALES

Cardiff  (on line)                                              16th February                                     Complete Weed Control

The Forum is very grateful to Weedfree for their support in making this series of events possible.

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

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

Toro involved in many key milestones

/in , /by

Toro involved in many key milestones: Toro dealer Cheshire Turf Machinery, based in Stockport near Manchester, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Toro, and its UK distributor, have been involved with Cheshire Turf Machinery for at least the last quarter of a century and some time before that, as managing director, Steve Halley explains: “Initially set up as Cheshire Light Tractors in 1956 selling garden machinery and turf equipment, the company was bought by Flymo in 1980, before we took the business back into private ownership in 1996. At that point, Toro was already a staple part of the business and Lely supported us, particularly with demo equipment when we took over. We changed the name to better suit the ethos of the business in the supply and servicing of professional turf equipment and set our focus on a mainly sports based portfolio of customers.

Toro involved in many key milestones

Toro involved in many key milestones

“The company has been through many changes, but one thing that has remained the same is our relationship with Toro and its UK distributor Lely, then Reesink.”

Toro excels at creating enduring relationships, built on reliability, productivity and quality; many of its relationships with customers are 25 years and counting – and the same relationship longevity applies to its dealers too.

Steve says: “Toro has been involved in so many milestones over the last quarter of a century. Toro was our first machine sold and our 1,000th, and when we decided to branch out into the market sector of councils and landscape contractors in 2013, becoming agents for the Toro Groundscare range enabled us to do that.”

In addition, Toro has also helped in the company’s expansion and as a result of continued sales growth Toro awarded Cheshire Turf Machinery with extra sales and service territory for its commercial golf mowers and equipment, primarily to cover South Yorkshire, culminating in the formation its sales division, Yorkshire Turf Machinery.

Steve says: “We’re very lucky to have had and to continue to have Toro and Reesink on board, having their names associated to ours has benefitted us greatly in building up the business. There’s a very good reason why 70 percent of our product portfolio consists of Toro machinery and that’s because of its quality. I believe that if we do our job properly when we sell that first Toro, we’ll have a customer for life.”

And that leads nicely on to the other major contributing factor to the company’s success and that is the experienced team, says Steve. “Our staff are good at thinking on their feet, thinking laterally to solve our customer’s problems. It was really highlighted in 2020 just how much they care, and I can’t thank them enough for that as well as all their hard work over the years.”

Excellent staff retention means the company can call on over 200 years of industry experience. Special mention goes to company secretary, Bob Smithson. Steve says his wisdom and business acumen has helped guide the company from inception to present and his influence cannot be overstated: “Bob has been instrumental in the success of the business.”

Also key, has been the company’s ability to tailor flexible finance packages to specifically meet customer requirements.

While golf provides the company’s largest customer base, other company highlights include the successful relationships forged with football clubs such as Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool, as well as Preston, Blackburn, Blackpool, and Oldham.

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

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