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Development at the heart of GMA Strategy

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Development at the heart of GMA Strategy: The Grounds Management Association (GMA) has, after the impact of the pandemic and following the impact of global events, combined with the cost-of-living crisis, focused on tackling the key issues highlighted by volunteers and professionals as priority areas to address in the grounds care industry. 

Published alongside the GMA’s 2022 Workforce Survey, the reset of the GMA’s Five-Year Strategy first launched in 2021, outlines six key priority areas that will inform and influence the association’s work to help achieve three long-term goals:

Development at the heart of GMA Strategy

Development at the heart of GMA Strategy

  • To attract new talent and accelerate the growth of a diverse workforce
  • To support sustainable business growth and protect the sector’s interests
  • To build industry reputation and promote the sector’s contribution to society and the economy

The six strategic priority areas are:

  • Workforce development
  • People and culture
  • Services and support
  • Industry representation
  • Data and digitisation
  • Funding and investment

GMA Chief Executive, Geoff Webb said: “We know the challenges that those working in the grounds care industry face and the findings from our Annual Workforce Survey echo those issues year after year. Whilst we have made progress since revealing the results of “Groundsmanship Sports Vital Profession” in 2019, the trends first identified remain.”

“The issues are far-reaching and to make a positive difference at pace, working together as a sector, we need a shift in mindset and outlook. Working collaboratively is key to success. Members and others working in grounds care, those employing grounds staff, industry partners and suppliers, national governing bodies, professional leagues, the media, local authorities, and the education sector all have a role to play. It’s a team effort.”

The GMA’s latest report estimates that over 3,200 professional grounds managers are due to retire in the next three years and over a third of all grounds professionals are over the age of 55. The lack of young people joining the profession is evident with only 3% being under 25. A clear indication that the industry is facing a recruitment crisis and must act now to attract the next generation.

A lack of diversity also continues to be an issue in grounds management with white men still being the most dominant demographic working in the industry. 96% of professional grounds staff are male and only 3% are non-white, which is far from representative of the communities across the UK.

The report also highlights an issue with underinvestment in grounds management, both in terms of procuring the necessary equipment, and the salary levels paid to grounds staff. The association believes that there is a widespread lack of understanding of what skills, technical expertise, and equipment are required to maintain sports grounds to a satisfactory standard. An issue that will be addressed by proactively promoting the work of grounds people and reiterating the message that with no ground, there’s no game.

GMA Chief Executive, Geoff Webb continues: “When Covid hit, like many, we focused resources on adapting to the ever-changing working environment, moving to remote working and facilitating longstanding face-to-face training and events online. Likewise, many worked with limited capacity and resources during this period, this impacted on many skilled ground staff and impacted on the ability of volunteers to spend the time attending to their clubs and facilities. We have to recognise that we are still in recovery and today are met with fresh challenges such as the cost of living, the impact on the supply chain and recruitment issues.

“We have reset having to contend with a delayed SALTEX which was a fantastic success last Autumn and have spent 2022 reviewing and resetting our strategy as well as building an expanded team. This year has been about getting the right people and resources in place and 2023 will see us move from capability building to implementation as we focus on the strategic priorities and long-term goals outlined in our Strategy.

“This reset of our Strategy puts us on a path to deliver and with the continued support of our Chair and Board, we will continue to invest in building on the six key priority areas identified to meet the needs of members and the wider grounds care sector.”

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Trencher Hire service just the job

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Trencher Hire service just the job: A Toro TRX-16 pedestrian trencher – supplied with operator – dug-out 400 metres of trenching in challenging land conditions in just one and a half days to the delight of customer Steve Stringfellow.

Steve, who lives in a remote farmhouse in Lincolnshire, wanted to lay a new water line from his house to the main water main, as the old existing iron water pipe ran across the farmer’s field and during ploughing often got damaged.

Trencher Hire service just the job

Trencher Hire service just the job

He commented: “We expected some problems with the property being built in 1850. The ground is fairly heavy clay agricultural land, with lots of trees and other obstacles within it. My initial reaction was to get a JCB for the job, but realised that this would have caused a great deal of disruption. I also calculated that around 84 tons of sand would have been needed to backfill the trenches, which would have proved costly both in terms of buying the sand and the labour needed to do the work.

“One of my colleagues, who had used Trencher Hire UK in the past, recommended them. When I contacted the Operations Manager Steve Kingdom, he ran through a few options open to me and I selected a Toro TRX-16 with operator.

“Not only was the trencher cheaper to hire than a JCB but, with its narrow-gauge cutter, could access areas a digger couldn’t. In addition, the narrow neat channels created by the Toro meant that probably only 30 tons of sand would be needed to backfill afterwards – saving both material and labour costs compared to a digger.

“The trencher operator Paul was brilliant and cracked on with the job straight away, but was also honest and upfront highlighting patches of ground where he could not get the Toro through and had to find another path.

“The new 32mm water pipe has been re-routed, but did have to pass over the old one and Paul was able to dig down without damaging it.

Most of the trenching was dug-out to a depth of 650mm and 100mm wide, but in some places adjustments were needed to be made because of large rocks and other obstacles. This meant that in some areas he only dug down to a depth of 500mm, or even as low as 400mm.

“I could not fault the service from Trencher Hire – it was ‘spot-on’. They arrived on time, did the job that they agreed to do and with no excess costs.

To find out how Trencher Hire UK call help, contact us on: 0121 751 9319, or email: team@trencherhire.com or visit our website: www.trencherhire.com

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EGO blows away the competition

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EGO blows away the competition: Outdoor battery-powered equipment specialist, EGO Power Plus, has expanded its range of blowers with the industry’s most powerful handheld blower to date. Outperforming other leading petrol-powered and battery blowers, the LB7650E enables a maximum propulsive force of 26n and a max airspeed of 195mph.

Offering a run time of up to six hours on a single charge, the blower joins the EGO Professional range for those working on large and demanding gardens.

EGO blows away the competition

EGO blows away the competition

Engineered to outperform petrol power when in Boost Mode with a maximum volume intake of 1,300m3/h, and equipped with a variable thumb selector, users can get more power at the touch of a button to blow away stubborn debris.

Designed with user comfort in mind, this lightweight machine with enhanced ergonomics makes for an easier day of work in the garden. The redesigned variable speed trigger, boost switch and speed dial simplify useability and give the operator complete control of the power they need.

The blower comes with easy to install large blowing tubes included as accessories, its round nozzle is ideal for moving leaves and other debris in large volumes, and the flat nozzle can be used to move wet leaves, stones and other hard-to-shift objects ensuring that users are prepared for any task.

Vince Brauns, Group Product Manager at EGO Power Plus said: “Out of all garden tools, petrol leaf blowers are often the most contentious, not just for their fumes but for their volume too. With the LB7650E, we’re not just expanding our Professional range, we’re also providing a battery-powered leaf blower that outperforms the power of petrol, poses no risk to the environment, and has a lower impact on its operator’s health. Professional gardeners will be able to complete jobs easily, quickly, and quietly in a way that a petrol leaf blower could never allow.”

The LB7650E can be equipped with any EGO 56V Arc Lithium battery, coupled with a high-efficiency brushless motor, users can expect reliable power and greater run times for emission-free gardening with reduced noise and vibrations.

To learn more visit: https://egopowerplus.co.uk/ 

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ICL is the one for Chart Hills

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ICL is the one for Chart Hills: Neil Lowther, Course Manager at Chart Hills Golf Club, has revealed how utilising a range of ICL products has resulted in vastly improved fairways and greens.

Situated in Kent, Chart Hills is the first signature Sir Nick Faldo-designed golf course in Europe. Dramatically undulating fairways, numerous water features, Europe’s largest bunker and complex greens present a challenge to all levels of golfer.

ICL is the one for Chart Hills

ICL is the one for Chart Hills

However, it is safe to say that the club has experienced mixed fortunes over recent years, but new owners have signalled an exciting new era.

“From my point of view, I would like to be 20 years younger – it certainly has been a roller coaster,” said Neil. “Our new owners are passionate about making improvements and they are investing in all the right areas so it is nice to have their full backing.”

Neil admits that a lack of investment previously prevented him from using the products that he wanted to, but the new owners gave him an opportunity to reassess exactly what he needed.

“After looking at all the nutritional products we were previously using, we decided that there was no reason to keep chopping and changing,” he said. “We felt that going with fewer manufacturers was the way to go, certainly in terms of consistency and results.”

Neil credits Craig Brisley, Sales Director at Collier Turf Care, for suggesting ICL products and says that he was sold on them following a trial with Sierrablen Plus Turf Starter 5.28.0 which features Pearl technology to aid early establishment.

Through independent trials, data has revealed significantly increased rooting when Sierrablen Plus with Pearl technology is used as part of a seedbed preparation and during turf-laying.

Furthermore, there was a 2.5 x increase in rooting when compared to another existing high-performing product.

“Craig advised Sierrablen Plus Turf Starter because he felt the product would help us establish as quickly as possible,” said Neil “So we tried it on a trial area to start with.

“What I like about this product is that you are incorporating it into the top part of the rootzone and you don’t lose any nutrients. No matter how much irrigation you put on, you won’t lose the product. Also, with Turf Starter being a slow release fertiliser that releases its nutrients over a 3+ month period, it gave us more time to concentrate on other jobs without worrying about getting more nutrition on.

ICL is the one for Chart Hills

ICL is the one for Chart Hills

“It had a great impact and members were saying they had never seen grass establish so quickly. We seeded the area on 21 May and were cutting regularly on 21 July.

“This process allowed us to demonstrate what was achievable in that amount of time to the owners and from that point onwards all our products have been ICL.”

Neil continues to use a range of ICL products from the Sierrablen Plus range and says Sierrablen Plus Stress Control 15-5-22 fertiliser helped his fairways recover after a Red thread disease outbreak and loss of coverage at the end of 2021. As part of his ICL programme, Neil also relies on products such as Sportsmaster Spring & Summer 9.7.7, Sierrablen Plus Mini 37.0.0, H2Pro AquaSmart wetting agent on his fairways and a range of SierraformGT products on the greens.

As well as the support he receives from Craig at Collier Turf Care, Neil also has regular communication with Andrew Pledger from ICL.

“I really like the technical back-up from both Andrew and Craig,” he said. “They’re very knowledgeable and they take the time to explain how the products work. This is essential because I want to know how it all works, and in turn I want to explain it to my members of staff.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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Two Ventracs at the True Fit

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Two Ventracs at the True Fit: Over the past couple of years, the True Fit Golf Centre at Cuerdley near Warrington has purchased two Ventrac all-terrain compact tractors and a selection of attachments to maintain the 18-hole Fiddlers Ferry golf course and 22-bay driving range. All of the equipment was purchased through their local dealer, Cheshire Turf Machinery.

The True Fit Golf Centre was originally formed in 1985 as a golf club assembly business by engineer Mark Overton, before he added a 9-hole golf course, which quickly turned into 18-holes of golf when a local farmer sold him some adjoining land.

Two Ventracs at the True Fit

Two Ventracs at the True Fit

The small course maintenance team were using an eclectic mix of mowing equipment before the engineer in Mark Overton decided there must be a more cost-effect way to manage the 5,500-yard course.

“I followed Ventrac on YouTube long before I decided to have a demo, as it appealed to my engineering instincts”, he said. “I liked the fact that you have a single power unit and multiple attachments to do various jobs around the course. We purchased our first unit back in 2020 and it quickly became apparent that we needed another one. We were considering the purchase of a new fairway mower from a major brand, but for the £80,000 purchase price we can have a Ventrac with a selection of attachments that do more than just on task. It just made sound commercial sense.”

Ian Millington is the principal operator of the machine and said,

“We have the two tractor units and added more attachments over time, so we now have a Contour deck, which we set at 35mm for the semi-rough and the triple Reel mower, which is set at 14mm for the fairways. This unit cuts as well, if not better, than some of the major brands. The Tough Cut deck is used on overgrown areas, and the Trencher is used for creating drainage bands, as we are situated very close to the river Mersey and it can be wet at times. Our final attachment is the Power Rake which we use for reinstating gravel pathways or preparing new areas when we need to break up the soil. It really has added to the overall presentation and playability of the course; even the golfers have made favourable comments!”

Mark Overton added, “We are a Pay-and-Play course with many regulars using our seasonal pass, creating a membership feel. All greens and tees have been built to USGA specifications and it has been designed to suit all levels of golfer from the beginner right through to the regular enthusiast. We’re not a long course by any calculation, but the Ventrac is the ideal solution for cost-effective course maintenance.

“Covering over 120 acres, the course has many water features and can be quite wet due to our proximity to the river as Ian alluded to earlier. Now, with the Trencher, we have the flexibility to install drainage when we want to and are not reliant on contractors. And we can get the machine out when it’s wet due to its incredibly low ground pressure. It’s robust, very well built and, as we have proved, it’s not just a machine for high-end clubs. Yes, we definitely like it.”

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