Tag Archive for: Receive

Duo Receive Pioneer Marks From The GMA

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Duo Receive Pioneer Marks From The GMA: Two previous members of the GMA Young Board, now known as GMA NextGen, have been awarded their Pioneer Marks as part of the Pioneer Legacy initiative, recognising the contributions of past and present members of GMA NextGen.

The Pioneer Mark is a distinctive legacy number that symbolises the impact each member has made on the grounds management profession.

Duo Receive Pioneer Marks From The GMA

Duo Receive Pioneer Marks From The GMA

Will Graves (#002) joined the industry in 2010 as an apprentice at Merchant Taylors’ School and became part of the first Young Board in 2011, later serving as Chair in 2014. He went on to join the ground staff team at Watford Football Club while also gaining experience at Wembley Stadium.

He said: “My time working with the Young Board of Directors was a real highlight of my career to date. We all worked hard to make a positive difference and increase opportunities for those both inside and outside of the profession. I am very grateful to both the GMA and Reesink UK for everything they did and continue to do to support the group.”

Harry Boxell (#022) served four years on the Young Board from 2016. He began his grounds management career at 16 and progressed through roles at Tottenham Hotspur and Godolphin, before taking on the role of Head of Grounds and Gardens at Embley Park in 2017. He is now Estates Manager, overseeing the 130-acre Grade II listed parkland.

Harry says: “I vividly remember driving down from Newmarket for the interview and being struck by the beauty of the buildings and grounds, while also recognising the potential for further enhancement.”

“Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to meet and learn from many inspiring individuals,” He added. “Some of my most memorable experiences were through my involvement with the Young Board of Directors. We met regularly and were fortunate to visit venues such as the Stade de France, Parc des Princes (home of Paris Saint-Germain), and several other prestigious sites.”

Jennifer Carter, GMA Director of Communications and Marketing, said: “The GMA would like to thank Will and Harry for their contributions during their time with the NextGen, formerly known as the Young Board.

“It’s really important that we recognise the contributions they have all made to the grounds management industry by awarding them with their pioneer marks. We’re excited to continue the legacy and are now looking to recruit the next generation of passionate individuals to carry the group forward.”

The duo join the ranks of respected NextGen alumni who have received their Pioneer Marks, which can be viewed here.

GMA NextGen are now welcoming new members under 35 who are ready to make a difference in the grounds management industry.

If you’re passionate about shaping the sector’s future, express your interest here. 

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Wendron United Receive Grant

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Wendron United Receive Grant: Football and cricket clubs at Wendron United have been awarded a £10,000 grant from the Premier League and FA Facilities Fund to provide new ground maintenance equipment.

With funds also raised by the youth section, money totalling £30,000 has enabled the club to buy a new tractor and grass cutting attachment, as well as other associated pitch maintenance equipment.

Wendron United chairman Peter Thorne, who this year won the Cornwall FA Groundsman of the Year award, said: “This funding together with those made available by the Pennon Environmental Fund (£13,866), local business Membly Hall Hotel and internal club funds, especially from our vibrant youth football section, has allowed the club to significantly enhance our ground maintenance equipment.

“This gives our small band of dedicated volunteers the ability to keep the grass pitches in good order and thereby allow more football to be played throughout the season and on better surfaces, so players can improve their skill levels.”

The Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund aims to improve the experience for regular players as well as attracting new players to the game.

It is delivered by the Football Foundation, the country’s largest sports charity. Founded in 2000, it is the largest sports charity in the UK funded by the Premier League, The FA and Government, via Sport England.

It develops new and refurbished grassroots sports facilities in order to improve the quality and experience of playing sport at the grassroots level.

Since it was launched in 2000, the Foundation has awarded around 15,000 grants worth more than £580m towards improving grassroots sport, which it has used to attract additional partnership funding of over £800m – £1.4bn of investment into the grassroots game.

Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “Congratulations should go to Wendron United FC for working with the Cornwall FA to secure this Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund grant.”

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Newcastle Receive Best Pitch In 15 years With MJ Abbott

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Newcastle United Football Club Receive Best Pitch in 15 years, working with MJ Abbott: Newcastle United’s stadium manager, Eddie Rutherford, has hailed the new SIS Grass pitch at St James’ Park, installed by MJ Abbott and Premier Pitches, as the best in his 16-years at the club.

St James’ Park sits in the centre of Newcastle as a monument to football, with progress being made under Rafael Benitez after bouncing back from The Championship at the first time of asking in 2016/17.

Newcastle Receive Best Pitch In 15 years With MJ Abbott

Results on the new pitch have been promising through to the end of October, seeing three wins, a draw and one loss, but the decision to install a new irrigation system and playing surface was taken at short notice and required swift planning and cohesive team work between MJ Abbott and Premier Pitches, with the result delighting Eddie and the club.

“We are extremely happy with the pitch, it’s played really well,” Eddie said. “It’s probably the best the pitch has been since I’ve been here, and I know it hasn’t gone through the winter period yet but at the same stage in the last 15-years it hasn’t been any better.

“We did the job at very short notice. We decided to put the SIS Grass pitch in with only four weeks’ notice, so considering the time they had to get everything organised and put in place I couldn’t fault them.

“My only worry was that when you put two companies together, will they work well together. But they were both spot on throughout the project. When one is getting towards the end the other needs to be ready and mobilised and that worked really well, it couldn’t have worked any better.

“MJ Abbott come as a partnership with Premier Pitches when installing SIS Grass pitches. Premier Pitches have done a lot of work in the past with us and do our end of season renovations, but I know MJ Abbott are good contractor so I was quite happy to work with the two combined”

Nathan George, Contracts Manager at MJ Abbott explained “The project comprised removing the existing fibre sand surface down to a suitable depth as to expose the existing drainage slits. This operation had to be very carefully completed as to not destroy the integrity of the retained drainage.”

“A new fully automatic pitch irrigation system was installed and an imported rootzone laid to re-establish the original pitch levels. Premier Pitches completed the preparation and seeding of the new pitch, which delivered the project a week ahead of the proposed programme”

“The SISGRASS stitching was installed following grass establishment, a process that took 7 days”

The quick planning required for the project was helped by Premier Pitches’ experience at the city centre venue, and director, Russell Latham, commended the work of the design team in the build-up to the start date.

“The design team needs to work well together from the outset, especially on this project because of the time scale, but more importantly the men on the ground need to work in harmony from start to finish.

“Newcastle United have been a long-standing client of Premier Pitches so the pitfalls of working at a city centre Premier League stadium were well known. Nevertheless, without the rigorous planning and logistics from the outset things still could have gone wrong.

“The logistics of plant deliveries, material removal and material deliveries all had to be scheduled to the second to ensure that the project ran smoothly.

“We have worked with MJ Abbott on our prestigious pitch construction projects for over five years now. Their efficient and meticulous way of approaching a product from design and planning to delivery is everything that our key clients want to see but it doesn’t stop there. The back-up and support and knowledge is second to none.”

For more information, visit: www.mjabbott.co.uk

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