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ISEKI UK proud to be part of Watcombe’s journey

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ISEKI UK proud to be part of Watcombe’s journey: Seventeen months ago, a new under-14 girls’ football team was started in South Devon for girls’ who were unhappy at their current clubs.

Fast forward a season and a half, and Watcombe Wanderers have won promotion in their first season and now have two teams whose kits are proudly sponsored by ISEKI UK and Ireland.

ISEKI UK proud to be part of Watcombe's journey

ISEKI UK proud to be part of Watcombe’s journey

In September 2023, team manager Martin Campbell, a fully licenced coach, was approached to start the team, and during the recruitment process, he received a message from ISEKI Vehicle Sales Manager Phil Catley about his daughter, Maddie.

After starting the season late due to not having enough players, Maddie and the other girls quickly formed a formidable team, eventually finishing second on the last day of the season to claim promotion to Division Two.

With the football side of the team performing beyond expectations, Martin wanted to build the team’s identity with new kits and hoodies before they started their second season. To do this, he sent a message to the parents, and Phil replied.

“They were playing like footballers, so we wanted them to look like footballers,” Martin said. “It can seem like a small thing, but before I joined the ambulance service I was in the service industry for 25 years in sales. Every time you put on a new suit, you feel like someone; you feel like something, and that’s what I wanted for the girls with their own kit.

“Like any grassroots club, we rely on volunteers and parents to drive the club, and when it came to kit sponsorship, we asked the parents, and Phil came forward and said I might be able to help.

“Like anything, people come forward with good intentions, but we all sat here thinking, ‘Why is a big national company going to be interested in a little backstreet girls’ football team on the outskirts of Newton Abbott.’

“But the response from ISEKI was positive, and they sponsored two kits and hoodies for the girls, and I have to say they look outstanding.

Without the sponsorship from ISEKI, the girls wouldn’t be able to play football with a nice kit on their backs and be proud of them. They wear the hoodies when they go to school or when they’re walking down the street with their mum and dad. So, what might seem like a small thing has made a significant difference to our team.

We are currently placed second in the second division and are chasing promotion to the first division, which will be a massive achievement for a new team to go from third division to first division in two years.”

“Women’s football is enjoying massive growth these days, so to be able to support an up-and-coming grassroots team is something to be very proud of especially with the amount of work we do with the GMA’s Pitch Advisory Service in advising on the supply of machinery to local sports clubs” said Alan Prickett Sales Director of ISEKI Uk & Ireland.

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Avant Tecno UK to Showcase Leguan 265 at Executive Hire Show

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Avant Tecno UK to Showcase Leguan 265 at Executive Hire Show: Avant Tecno UK is set to make an impact at the Executive Hire Show 2025, the UK’s premier event for the hire industry, taking place on 12-13 February at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Exhibiting on stand NPP8, Avant Tecno will be showcasing the highly anticipated Leguan 265 – a game-changer in all-terrain access equipment.

Avant Tecno UK to Showcase Leguan 265 at Executive Hire Show

Avant Tecno UK to Showcase Leguan 265 at Executive Hire Show

 

The newly launched Leguan 265 sets a new standard in performance and efficiency. Designed to deliver superior all-terrain capabilities, it boasts an impressive 26.5m maximum working height, 13.6m maximum outreach, and a 250kg lift capacity.

As the fastest 27m spider lift on the market, the Leguan 265 fully extends its booms to maximum working height in just 1 minute and 35 seconds. Its rugged track system, exceptional ground clearance, and the industry’s lowest centre of gravity provide unmatched stability and manoeuvrability on challenging terrains. Whether operating on uneven ground, slopes, or confined spaces, the Leguan 265 offers reliability and ease of use for a wide range of applications.

Designed as part of Leguan’s innovative product line alongside the well-regarded 195 and 225 models, the Leguan 265 features a unified design, identical user interface, and standardised components, making it an excellent addition for fleet operators looking for efficient, easy-to-use machines. With a 45% gradeability and Leguan’s Elevated Driving Position (EDP) function, this lift is built for professionals who require extra height without compromising on performance and efficiency.

In addition to the Leguan 265, visitors to the Avant Tecno stand can find out more about the full range of Avant compact loaders and Leguan spider lifts. Avant loaders are renowned for their exceptional versatility, with over 200 attachments available for industries such as construction, agriculture, property maintenance, and landscaping. Their compact design, agility, and efficiency make them a valuable addition to any fleet of equipment.

Leguan spider lifts, engineered for stability, durability, and ease of use, continue to gain popularity in the access industry. Designed to tackle demanding work environments, Leguan lifts offer innovative features that ensure safe and efficient operation across various job sites.

The Executive Hire Show 2025 presents the perfect opportunity to see the Leguan 265 and explore how Avant’s compact loaders and Leguan’s spider lifts can enhance operations.

For more information, please visit www.avanttecno.com/uk

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Ladyback Golf Club commit to Ventrac

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Ladyback Golf Club commit to Ventrac: Ladybank Golf Club, situated in wooded heathland 10 miles west of St Andrews in Fife, is the latest prestigious Scottish golf club to purchase Ventrac equipment to assist in the maintenance of their challenging heathland championship course.

Designed by Old Tom Morris, Ladybank is a rare course; although situated in Fife, it’s not one of the famous links courses that dots the coast. It measures almost 6,800 yards from the championship tees, making great use of its heathland terrain and has changed little over the years. It requires the golfer to display real precision to hit the small and contoured greens.

Ladyback Golf Club commit to Ventrac

Ladyback Golf Club commit to Ventrac

Grant Frogley is the Course Manager and is responsible for a team of 8 full-time greenkeepers, who maintain this beautiful and challenging course. During the winter of 2021-22, the club purchased an ex-demo Ventrac 4500 all-terrain compact tractor and two attachments to help maintain the course.

“I’m one of the many converts to the Ventrac compact tractor and attachments,” he said. “We had two rough mowers when I came in, each one for different areas of the course. We’re a relatively flat site in terms of elevation, but we do have quite a lot of subtle movement with some extreme hollows and bumps. The rough mowers weren’t the best at following contours, so we found ourselves doing a lot more hand work.

“I’d seen the Ventrac at a demonstration at Gwest and knew it would be the perfect piece of kit here; a versatile machine that could do more than one task. We got it in on demo and sure enough it flew round, coped with every contour out there, without a problem.

“We’ve got the Contour deck and the Tough Cut deck. We use the Tough deck a lot during the winter to clean up the woodlands and remove the gorse and broom. We basically cut everything that’s not on the maintained grass areas. We cut every blade of grass during the winter, so it’s very versatile and mobile for getting in amongst the trees. As I said previously, it’s very good at removing brash, gorse and broom.

“It came with a rear three-point linkage kit, which is brilliant. We bought a small sprayer with hand lance that hooks up on the back of it and we also have a terra rake, which we use a lot during winter projects, especially if we’ve got soil that just needs a tilth-up before we re-turf. It’s brilliant and such a light footprint, it just glides over the surface.

“The options are endless; we’ve demoed the stump grinder and blower. We’ve got a rear-mounted blower on a tractor, and perhaps it’s just my age, but I find looking out the back for a period of time is very uncomfortable. The seating position on the Ventrac is very comfortable and the out-front blower makes it much more user-friendly. We’ve had nothing in the way of breakdowns, servicing has been fine, one little repair on the deck and it’s hardly missed a beat.”

Grant began his career at Gleneagles in 1999, working under Peter Pattenden, and six years later went to New Zealand for a year, before returning to Gleneagles at a time when the renovations for the Ryder Cup were taking place, remodelling the PGA Centenary course. This led to construction work at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club near Dublin followed by a spell in Sweden constructing the PGA of Sweden National Golf Course near Malmo.

Returning to the UK, he was appointed deputy course manager at Gwest, where a new championship course was being built next door to Gleneagles. Gwest never materialised into the great golf course and property that it could have been, so he took up his first course manager’s job at The Roxburghe in the Scottish Borders. Three and half years later he returned to Gwest as course manager, with a commitment from the owners that it would be completed. Covid struck and, and unfortunately, progress with the development stalled, so in 2021 he applied for, and was successful in securing, the vacant course manager’s position at Ladybank.

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Tenant sought to run South Buckingham Golf Course

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Tenant sought to run South Buckingham Golf Course: A rare chance to lease an established golf course has arrived on the market through national property consultancy Carter Jonas on behalf of Buckinghamshire Council.

South Buckingham Golf Course in Stoke Poges boasts a well-maintained 18-hole golf course with a modern clubhouse, together with ancillary buildings and an adjacent playing field complex.

Tenant sought to run South Buckingham Golf Course

Tenant sought to run South Buckingham Golf Course

Available to let as a whole or in parts, there are also facilities supporting several other sports including rugby, football, softball and baseball, as well as martial arts facilities.

“The course has many established trees and ditches crossing the fairways, plus a small practice area, two practice nets and a practice putting green,” says Carter Jonas Head of Rural Agency, Andrew Chandler.

“It has lovely scenery, a great variety of holes and several subtle elements that make every round both enjoyable and challenging.”

A modern single-storey clubhouse extends to 6,776 sq ft (629.55 sq m) and boasts a bar and restaurant, meeting rooms, golf pro shop, changing rooms, showers and associated offices.

“Padel Tennis UK has installed two courts on a sub lease at the course too,” explains Mr Chandler. “One of the world’s fastest-growing sports, these courts have proven to be extremely popular.”

Altogether the golf course stretches to 131 acres (53 ha), with the total site covering 204 acres (83 ha).

Farnham Park Playing Fields is 73 acres (30 ha) and has a wide range of sports pitches and facilities located on the site, together with clubhouses, changing facilities and car parks. There is a children’s playground operated by Farnham Royal Parish Council, a fenced-off area that is used for the grazing of horses and a small area of woodland to the north.

“The site boasts six adult-size football pitches, two youth pitches, two junior pitches and two small training pitches that are available to hire,” says Mr Chandler. “There are also two rugby pitches and purpose-built baseball and softball pitches – which are only purpose-built pitches of their kind in the UK.”

There is a range of buildings on site, including a martial arts centre and associated facilities.

The property is offered to let and expressions of interest together with proposals should be submitted by 28 February 2025 to the Carter Jonas Oxford office.

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Aqua Aid continues to grow

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Aqua Aid continues to grow: Aqua Aid Europe, the leading provider of soil water management solutions, is proud to announce that Christiaan Arends will join the Aqua Aid Europe team as Commercial Director as of February 1, 2025. Arends will play an important role in the further growth and development of the company.

Christiaan Arends brings extensive industry experience and a wealth of knowledge and expertise that will be of value to Aqua Aid Europe. He has previously held various positions at Barenbrug Holland and the Vanmac Group, both nationally and internationally.

Aqua Aid continues to grow

Aqua Aid continues to grow

“We are very pleased to welcome Christiaan to our team,” says Hans de Kort of Aqua Aid Europe. “His experience and skills fit perfectly with our ambitions for the future. We look forward to his contribution and are confident that he will play an important role in the further growth of our company.”

Aqua Aid Europe BV remains committed to providing sustainable soil water management solutions in Europe and beyond. With the arrival of Christiaan Arends, the company expects to further strengthen this mission and make an even greater impact in the market.

About Aqua Aid Europe

Founded in the Netherlands, Aqua Aid Europe is a leading innovator in sustainable water management, offering advanced solutions tailored to the irrigation and grass industries. With a strong European footprint and a growing global presence, Aqua Aid Europe delivers high-quality products and services that enhance water conservation, soil health, and environmental sustainability.

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