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Rugby club’s open invite to vandals

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Rugby club’s open invite to vandals: A rugby club has condemned the actions of vandals who drove on their pitch and left tyre marks strewn across the muddy playing surface.

But Phil Prangnell, facilities manager at Dereham Rugby Club, has urged those responsible to curb their ‘boredom’ by joining the team and trying their hand at the sport.

Mr Prangell first discovered the damage when he arrived at the club on Tuesday morning and immediately spotted tyre marks across the pitch.

It means the club – based off Moorgate Road in Toftwood – faces a race against the time to get the pitch back up to match standard ahead of their next home fixture.

“When you pull up at the club you cannot miss it,” he said.

“In the summer timer we tend to get kids on scooters and a few in cars on the pitch, but it doesn’t do a great deal of damage. Obviously at this time of year it’s a different story.

“We’ve now got to try and repair the pitch for the next match and just hope it grows again where the tyre marks are.

“Along with people who don’t bother clearing up their dog mess, this is a real frustration.

“Why would you want to mess things up for other people? I’m sure there are plenty of other places around here where they can go off-roading.”

Despite the inconvenience of having to rectify the damage, Mr Prangnell believes there could ultimately be a positive outcome.

He has invited the vandals to join the club and better use their time by playing rugby – instead of going out of their way to destroy the club’s property.

“If they are that bored they should come along to the rugby club and get involved,” added Mr Prangnell, who has been supporting the club for several years. “You never know – they might enjoy themselves.

“We’re a friendly club and players of all abilities are welcome. If you’ve never played before, we’ll you up to standard.”

Dereham Rugby Club trains from 7pm to 9pm on Wednesday evenings. Matches are played on Saturdays.

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New addition to the SCAG Stand-on mower range

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New addition to the SCAG Stand-on mower range: The V-Ride is a stand-on mower designed for professional use; the compact machine size, ease of manouevering and clear view for the operator have lead to the V-Ride becoming increasingly popular for intricate mowing areas.

The Ride-On SCAG machines, because they are purpose-built for grasscutting, place the operator directly above the cutting deck, and one of the main features on the new V-Ride is that the revised configuration of the stand-on deck follows the same concept, placing the operator nearer the centre of the machine.

New addition to the SCAG Stand-on mower range

The new version of the original V-Ride was announced in 2017 and had revised features that exhibit SCAG’s policy of continuous improvement and response to operator feedback, which combine to make them such a successful machinery manufacturer.

The latest machine in the range addresses the need for gate-access –

the new 2020 V-Ride 32 version.

The V-Ride 32A-16FX:

  • 32” Advantage Deck
  • 16HP Kawasaki FX
  • Electric start
  • Drive wheels: 20 x 6.5 – 10
  • Fuel capacity: 4 gallons
  • New style 2020 V-Ride operator pad
  • All other features as on the 36” V-Ride

The machines are available through the STM dealership network. To find your nearest dealer ring 01789 488450, email info@st-mach.com or look at our website www.st-mach.com

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GKB to showcase reliable products at BTME

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GKB to showcase reliable products at BTME: For the 5th year running, GKB will be attending the BTME 2020 show to showcase their range of machinery. The show will be taking place on 21st – 23rd January at the Harrogate Convention Centre.

Visitors can expect to see the Sandfiller, Sandspreader and Combiseeder on display at the show and will be impressed with the versatility on turf surfaces throughout the season.

GKB to showcase reliable products at BTME

With last year’s show seeing nearly 9,000 visitors from turf managers, golf club owners and industry decision-makers, the BTME 2020 is a great event from networking opportunities to seeing the latest innovation in the turf maintenance industry.

From perfection from the green until the tee and the perfect combination of maintaining and improving drainage systems, to discovering a fast and efficient way to seed or overseed your golf course. GKB Machines will be encompassing everything you need to maintain your golf courses during the year. Like the much loved Sandspreader enabling you to distribute a great variety of materials, GKB is proud to be presenting a range of our impressive, durable maintenance machines at the 2020 show, perfect for your golf course.

Tom Shinkins, Operations Manager, said “BTME is a great opportunity to exhibit our products for the golf sector.”  Tom adds, “The amount of course managers that attend the event for networking and educational needs is growing year on year and it’s vital that we are there at the show.” Visit us on stand Purple 406 to book your demonstrations.

For more on GKB Machines and their impressive range of machinery for natural, hybrid and synthetic turf, visit www.gkbmachines.com or contact us on 01778 348864.

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Back to basics

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Back to basics: This was the clear message emerging from a panel discussion on amenity management, held at SALTEX recently, and chaired by John Moverley from the Amenity Forum.

Whilst plant protection products continue to have a clear and vital role in managing pests, weeds and diseases, the need to take an integrated approach to the management of amenity spaces is equally important. The emphasis must be on preventative actions, ensuring all aspects of soil management, seed selections, cultivations and appropriate on-going management routines are in place to minimise impact and ensure plant protection products, when applied, are targeted and have maximum impact.

Back to basics

The Amenity Forum has produced a guidance document to assist in producing integrated weed management plans (IWMs) across all areas of amenity, together with a template to help in their construction. A supporter, Parks for London, is also working with the Forum producing a document to help in constructing policy statements on IWM, especially useful for local authorities. The Forum, subject to funding, is additionally hoping in the next year to produce similar guidance for integrated disease management approaches.

The Forum has also worked closely with the sector to develop the Amenity Standard. This will be fully launched at the start of 2020 and is seen as a game changer for the sector. Those operating in amenity management at the Standard will demonstrate their professionalism and re-assure all involved that practices undertaken on that amenity space follow an integrated approach and meet all requirements on safety and good practice. The Amenity Standard is a bespoke quality management standard very much like the Red Tractor standard in food and agriculture. Those operating to the Standard will be members of an approved and audited assurance scheme recognised by the Standard.

The Amenity Standard is designed to:

• Provide an industry benchmark
• Provide a basis for continuous improvement
• Focus on quality as an objective
• Provide assurances about the quality of the approved organisation and maintenance of the amenity space
• Ensure that quality assurance scheme operators recognised under this Standard use auditors with technical knowledge and experience of the sector concerned
• Promote confidence in organisations operating and providing resources in the amenity sector by provision of a robust and transparent standard

John Moverley, Amenity Forum Chairman, said ‘’the management of our amenity areas is essential and important and impacts on every UK citizen every day. The Amenity Forum promotes best practice and organisations who support this are committed to the highest professional standards seeking to produce safe, healthy spaces fit for purpose. Taking integrated approaches to amenity management should be the norm and, for those concerned with or employing operators for amenity management, I would urge you seek those signed up to the Amenity Forum aims and objectives and following our code. The introduction of the Amenity Standard will further assist in this process and we seek to roll it out across all aspects of the sector going forward’’

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Grangers no strangers to Toro

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Grangers no strangers to Toro: Marking a 20-year relationship Grangers Ground Maintenance, based in Hitchin, has taken delivery of two new Toro machines.

Since its inception in 1986 company director Martin Granger has built Grangers Ground Maintenance up from a solo enterprise to a company now employing over 25 people and for most of that time Toro has been aiding its growth.

Grangers no strangers to Toro

The company, which provides services to local authorities and associations, has chosen two Toro zero-turn rotary mowers for grounds contracts in the east of England. Martin picked the Groundsmaster 7210 with durable heavy-duty seven-gauge deck construction and the industry’s toughest spindle assembly for guaranteed longevity and the Z Master 7000 for its multi-use productivity. This joins the Toro STX Stump Grinder already part of Grangers Ground Maintenance’s fleet.

“We chose the Z Master 7000 because it really impressed us at a demonstration,” Martin says. “It’s an incredibly well-built machine with an impressive ground speed that allows it to cover a lot of area quickly. The biggest benefit though is probably its size – as a smaller model it’s able to get into some tighter spaces and manoeuvre within them effectively. We’ve been able to use it in places where we’d normally be using a walk behind mower, so it’s saved us time and made the team more productive!

“In fact, the time savings we’ve seen with the new Toro machines is really quite impressive. We’re currently down a member of the team, but getting the same amount of work done, thanks to how productive these machines are. When we’re back to full capacity, we’ll be finishing each job well within our timeframe which will be a big bonus for our customers.”

And it’s the perfect combination of the quality of Toro machines and the excellent back up service from distributor Reesink Turfcare that sees this relationship continuing, says Martin.

“Toro machines are always solid and well built, but the service from Reesink, particularly from rep Julian Copping, is just brilliant. We have a tight schedule here, so things need to be fixed quickly if there are ever any issues and machines have to be delivered on time when ordered. With Reesink, there’s always a quick turnaround, they’re always on the end of the phone when you need them and if they say they’re going to do something, they do it. I’ve never been let down.”

With the benefits that both Toro and Reesink bring, Martin says there’s never a doubt in his mind when it comes to choosing Toro.

“They can provide what other competitors can’t,” Martin concludes. “From the technical side with benefits like hydraulic lift on decks which other brands lack, to always knowing where you are with Reesink. Everything about Toro and Reesink Turfcare is brilliant.”

Despite this trust in Toro and Reesink, Martin is vigilant in his research. He says: “We replace our mowers every two years but always look at all the options available before making any decisions. With our experience of Toro stretching back 20 years, it was no surprise to us that they proved the best solution again.”

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